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NZ-developed anti-cancer drug gets European funding

Author
Newstalk ZB Staff,
Publish Date
Mon, 12 Mar 2018, 7:45AM
The drug is able to be turned on and off before it reaches the cancer calls. (Photo / 123RF)

NZ-developed anti-cancer drug gets European funding

Author
Newstalk ZB Staff,
Publish Date
Mon, 12 Mar 2018, 7:45AM

An anti-cancer drug developed in New Zealand is set to go to clinical trial in Europe.

Chemotherapy drug CP-505 could go to trial next year, after receiving $23 million in funding from a Belgium pharmaceutical company.

Auckland University cancer researcher Adam Patterson, who co-invented the drug, told Mike Hosking New Zealand is becoming the world leader in low-oxygen chemotherapy research.

"The cancer lacks oxygen because it tends to grow much faster than the blood supply. So it's a relative absence of oxygen that's its Achilles Heel effectively."

The durg has been developed at Auckland University over the past three years.

Patterson says the drug targets cancer cells, without affecting other cells.

"It's a sort of trick of the chemistry where you can put on-off switch on the drug, and it's only when it gets in to the cancer cam it get switched on and then kill the cancer."

LISTEN TO ADAM PATTERSON TALK WITH MIKE HOSKING ABOVE

 

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