O'Brien Institute in analysis deal with UK biotech

A $1 million deal to analyse molecular changes in tumours has been signed between Melbourne's Bernard O'Brien Institute of Microsurgery (BOBIM) and a private London biotech.

In a collaborative research agreement brokered by local business development group ABCBiocomm, vaccine developer Onyvax will provide cash over two years towards the development of new therapeutics for prostate and breast cancers.

The joint research program is to involve detailed analysis of molecular changes in tumours at different stages of disease, looking at cells derived from cancer patients and those grown in culture.

BOBIM chief executive officer Geoff Renton said the deal was cemented in May after six months of negotiation.

"This collaboration gives us access to one of the largest banks of immortalised cell-lines for use in the study of cancer," Renton said. "These cell-lines will enhance and expand our current programs."

He said the funding, which is to be attached to the achievement of undisclosed milestones, had already commenced, enabling BOBIM to employ a research nurse, two research assistants and team leader Dr Elizabeth Williams.

Williams, who formerly worked at St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, said the group was extremely excited at the prospect of working closely with Onyvax.

"It is very unusual in basic research to be so close to the therapeutic end, so the translational stuff has got us very excited about it all," she said.

Williams said BOBIM had already achieved ethical approval to commence tissue collection from prostate cancer patients with the aim of deriving new cancer cell-lines.

She said the project would concentrate initially on prostate cancer because of the general dearth of cell-lines for the disease and also because Onyvax had commenced phase II trials of a prostate cancer vaccine.

"The idea is that we will collect fresh tumour tissue from people and will then do a primary outgrowth to immortalise into cell-lines," Williams explained. "Then we will test these cell-lines here and in the UK for various attributes."

She said that while some of these attributes may prove efficacious for an Onyvax vaccine, others may be incorporated into BOBIM's own basic research program. After prostate cancer, she said, a similar program for breast and other cancer would follow.

Onyvax, based at St George's Hospital, London, is a privately owned biotech company involved in the development of vaccines for cancer treatment, with projects currently in prostate, colorectal and solid tumour cancers.

"By pooling our resources and areas of expertise we hope that this collaboration will shed more light on changes that occur as cancer progresses," said Onyvax finance director Peter Smith.

"This will help us to identify cell-lines that are truly representative of the disease, thereby validating them for use in future research as well as in Onyvax's cancer vaccine programs."

Biocomm chief executive officer Dr Andy Gearing said one of its major goals was to increase the level of international partnering by Australian organisations.

"We are delighted to have brought Onyvax and BOBIM together in this deal," Gearing said.