Experimental university brain cancer drug showing great promise
LONDON: An experimental drug to fight aggressive brain cancer has proved so successful in the first trial on humans, medics will fast-track the second stage.
The development provides a glimmer of hope for glioblastoma patients, who face a survival time of only 12 to 18 months after diagnosis of the most common malignant brain tumour in adults.
The drug called Auceliciclib was discovered by University of South Australia Professor Shudong Wang and her UniSA research team.
It targets two enzymes to halt cancer cell growth and was successfully tested on animals before the first human phase started in June 2021.
Patients with glioblastoma as well as cervical, colon, gastrointestinal, pancreatic and uterine cancers, were treated with different dosages of Auceliciclib.
Trials in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne of Auceliciclib, helped by a $700,000 SA government Seed-Start grant, have seen it pass initial human tests with flying colours.
Prof Wang and Adelaide biotech company, Aucentra Therapeutics, are recruiting up to 50 glioblastoma patients for the second stage.
The round two trials will be combined with the chemotherapy drug, Temozolomide, and will focus on glioblastoma patients.
Prof Wang said Auceliciclib had shown in preclinical models that it could cross the “blood-brain barrier”, which makes it an ideal drug candidate for brain cancer.
“Phase one usually takes up to two years if there are any safety concerns with a new drug, but we didn’t experience any issues with Auceliciclib, which is very encouraging,” Prof Wang said.
“Despite surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, glioblastoma is an incurable cancer.
“One reason is due to late diagnosis where the tumour has already spread in a way that makes surgical removal very difficult,” he said.
“Also, there are very few existing drugs that can cross the blood-brain barrier.”
Prof Wan said the brain does an excellent job of protecting its most vital organ from toxins and pathogens. “The downside is that it keeps out vital medication.”
Prof Wang said Auceliciclib was more target specific than other drugs in development by reaching cancer cells in the brain more effectively, and is less toxic. Progress is limited by funding, with the trials costing more than $15m.
“Aucentra Therapeutics has played a critical role in raising the capital needed to undertake the clinical trials, but we need a lot more support,” Prof Wang said.
The team hopes to expand the trial sites to all capital cities across Australia.
A separate trial is ongoing for Auceliciclib as a therapy for patients with a range of late-stage cancers, including breast, lung, ovarian and colorectal. Prof Wang is a world-renowned leader in cancer drug therapies.
In 2017 she was honoured with a NHMRC Research Excellence Award for being the highest ranked development grant applicant in Australia.
The breakthrough comes on the eve of World Cancer Research Day.
Medics say there is limited and effective treatment for the estimated 300,000 people diagnosed worldwide with a primary brain tumour.
South Australia’s first cancer plan since the last one expired in 2015 will be shaped by public input on the best way forward.
Public consultation is now underway to improve cancer care and streamline health services across the state.
The government aims to work with patients, families, clinicians and the wider community to expand services and ensure they meet future demands.
Government officials say the new five-year plan “will focus on all aspects of cancer care including prevention, screening, diagnosis, early detection, treatment, survivorship and palliative care in metropolitan and regional areas.”
Ideas can be submitted online through YourSAy, email or via post, with workshops and targeted meetings to be held with “diverse groups and individuals.”
A draft plan will be released next year for further consultation before a final plan is implemented by the end of 2023 for future models of cancer care and resource allocation.
The plan also aims to reduce the incidence of cancer in SA’s ageing population and its impact on the health system, partly by urging the public to stay healthy.
More than 11,000 South Australians were diagnosed with cancer in 2019, with bowel and lung cancers the leading causes of death.
Health Minister Chris Picton said the government is committed to providing better care to cancer patients, including a $28m investment to open a new Modbury Hospital Cancer Centre by 2025.
“We know the immense impact cancer has on South Australians and their families as demand for services continues to increase,” he said.
“That’s why we committed to developing a new Cancer Plan at the election to give clear guidance on what matters most to the community.
“Our plan will be driven by patient and clinical needs, so I encourage anyone affected by cancer to get involved and have their say.”
