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Quest PharmaTech and BC Cancer Agency to Develop Immuno Photodynamic Therapies for Lung Cancer
EDMONTON, Jan. 28 /CNW/ - Quest PharmaTech Inc. ("Quest" or the "Company") today announced that i...
About this update from Quest Pharmatech Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n\n\nEDMONTON, Jan. 28 /CNW/ - Quest PharmaTech Inc. ("Quest" or the\n"Company") today announced that it has signed a collaborative research\nagreement with the BC Cancer Agency (the "BCCA") to develop a combination\ntherapy for the treatment of lung cancer. The potential treatment will utilize\nthe Company's lead oncology product, SL052, with various immunotherapeutic\nagents. Research has shown that photodynamic therapy (PDT) can augment the\ntherapeutic effects of immunomodulators such as antibodies, antigens,\ncytokines and immunoadjuvants in cancer patients.\n\n\nUnder the terms of the agreement, the BCCA, with Dr. Mladen Korbelik as\nthe principle investigator, will investigate therapeutic and mechanistic\naspects of anti-tumor effects achieved by combining photodynamic therapy (PDT)\nbased on Quest's photosensitizer, SL052, with various immunotherapeutic\nagents.\n\n\nPDT uses light to activate anti-cancer drugs, but has also been shown to\nstimulate the body's immune system to fight the disease. Dr. Korbelik, a\nSenior Scientist at the BCCA and a Clinical Professor at the University of\nBritish Columbia, is a pioneer and leader in this area of research. For the\npast 20 years, he has been involved in PDT studies aimed at improving\ntreatment of solid tumors. His research has provided direct evidence of the\ninduction of tumor immunity by PDT; and demonstrated that PDT can be\neffectively potentiated by adjuvant immunotherapy.\n\n\n"Using targeted treatments with better delivery and manipulating the\nbody's own immune system to fight the disease means patients would experience\nfewer side effects," said Dr. Korbelik. Quest has a strong intellectual\nproperty position to use SL052 with immunotherapy. The combination therapy\ntechnology has already received patents from United Kingdom, France, Germany,\nSwitzerland and Australia, and patents are pending in the USA and Canada.\n\n\nBackground:\n\n\nAbout the BC Cancer Agency: The BCCA, an agency of the Provincial Health\nServices Authority, is renowned world wide for leading edge research and its\npopulation-based approach to cancer care. The mission of the BCCA is to reduce\nthe incidence of cancer; to reduce the mortality rate of people with cancer;\nand to improve the quality of life of people living with cancer. With more\nthan ...