The compound will be used to develop new treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer in Asia.
LB-100 is currently not approved to treat HCC. The university will evaluate the compound’s effectiveness against HCC in clinical studies carried out in compliance with both Taiwanese and American regulatory requirements.
Under the agreement, the university will make milestone and royalty payments to Lixte.
Lixte founder John Kovach said: "LB-100 is a novel small molecule that in pre-clinical studies has activity against a number of different cancer types alone and, most prominently, in combination with cytotoxic drugs, including some known to be active against hepatocellular carcinoma.
"We welcome an opportunity to work with an outstanding group of investigators in Taiwan to assess the value of LB-100 against this all-too-common and devastating cancer."
The company’s phosphatase inhibitor, LB-100, is currently in a phase I clinical trial at two NCI designated cancer centers and three US oncology research sites.
According to the World Cancer Research Fund International, 782,000 new cases of HCC were diagnosed in 2012 globally.
The National Cancer Institute reported that there are about 35,000 new cases and 24,000 deaths from HCC every year in the US.