Oncology

Abiraterone
Diagram to show the microscopic appearance of tissue in near-normal (Gleason Grade 1) to advanced (Gleason Grade 5) prostate cancer.	The type of decision tree that may be used to decide the best treatment for prostate cancer.	Some of the organs and hormones involved in prostate cancer and its treatment using surgery or hormone-based medicines.
The effect of blocking male hormones on the PSA level, prostate size and cancer size.	Bone metastases in advanced prostate cancer – diagram of sites often affected.

Afinitor – Anti-Cancer Therapy,
Cross-section of a solid tumour; Afinitor is undergoing clinical trials as a treatment for various tumours of this type.	When the tumour is confined to the kidney, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) may be asymptomatic. When symptoms are present they typically include blood in the urine (haematuria), flank pain and a palpable abdominal mass.	The lungs and soft tissues are the most common secondary sites of RCC.

ASA404 Vascular Disrupting Agent for Solid Tumours,
Diagram of the respiratory system; ASA404 can help target the symptoms of lung cancer.	Antisoma's ASA404 is a vascular disrupting agent (VDA) that is designed to attack the established blood vessel network within a tumour.	The process by which a tumour spreads from the primary site in the body, such as the lungs, to other sites.

Avastin (bevacizumab) - Angiogenesis
Avastin has become the first angiogenesis inhibitor to market; it secured US FDA approval at the end of February 2004 for use as a first-line treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.	Angiogenesis inhibitors are designed to stop tumours from developing a blood supply, a pre-requisite for tumour growth and metastasis. (Source: ABPI)	Tumour angiogenesis. (Source: ABPI)
Cross-section of solid tumour. (Source: ABPI)	Roche R&D Centre, Basle.	Drug development and approval process.
To meet the growing demand for licensed products and new drugs coming on stream, Genentech is increasing production capacity.

Blinatumomab
Blinatumomab is a new monoclonal antibody aimed at targeting lymphoma, in Phase I and II trials for NHL and ALL respectively.	In lymphoma, lymphocytes start reproducing in an abnormal manner, pile up and gather in some parts of the lymphatic system, and become susceptible to infection. Blinatumomab binds to cancer cells and T cells to fight lymphoma.	Micromet hopes that its new drug blinatumomab will be a promising new treatment for cancer with minimal side effects.

Cervarix – Cervical Cancer Vaccine
Persistent infection with oncogenic types of human papilloma virus, such as types 16 and 18, can lead to the development of cervical cancer.	Cervical cell abnormalities are classified as CIN 1-3. CIN 1 describes mild dysplasia, in which the cells often revert to a normal histological pattern.	In its early stages, cervical cancer is usually asymptomatic. Cervical cancer screening is important in detecting potentially pre-cancerous lesions.
Staging is important in determining the extent and spread of a cancer and the type of treatment likely to be most effective.	In the UK, GSK markets over 25 prophylactic vaccines for the prevention of serious infectious diseases. Cervarix is one of its most recent additions to the list.

Dasatinib - Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor for Chronic
Some pathways and colony forming units (CFU) involved in the formation of blood cells	Relationship between stage of maturation of white blood cells and common forms of blood cancer	The t(9:22) chromosome translocation in CML
Onset of CML, showing that peak occurrence is in people aged 50-70 years. Incidence is slightly higher among males than females	Rates of response and survival at 5 years in trials of chemotherapy, interferon and imatinib for CML

Elotuzumab
Solid constituents of blood and their proportions in normal blood; multiple mylemoa disrupts normal production of red blood cells, platelets and white cells.	Some pathways and colony forming units (CFU) involved in the formation of blood cells.	Common forms of blood cancer; multiple myeloma is the second most common haematological malignancy.
Relationship between stage of maturation of white blood cells and common forms of blood cancer.	Some of the events that take place in the bone in multiple myeloma. The Y-shaped objects emerging from the plasma cell represent the antibodies produced by drugs such as elotuzumab to fight the tumour.

Erbitux (Cetuximab)
One of several new cancer biotherapies, Erbitux is currently in advanced-stage development for the treatment of several solid tumours.	Inhibition of EGFR prevents tumour growth and dissemination as well as inducing cell death (apoptosis). (Source: ABPI)	Over expression of EGFR correlates with increased metastasis, decreased survival and a poor prognosis. (Source: ABPI)
Erbitux is a chimaeric monoclonal antibody (MAb) specific for the EGFR.	Erbitux has been approved for use in metastatic colorectal cancer in both Switzerland and the US.	In July 2002, ImClone Systems secured FDA approval for the production of Erbitux for use in clinical studies.

Hycamtin – Anti-Tumour Drug for Treatment of Relapsed Small Cell Lung Cancer
Hycamtin's main indication is as an IV-administered treatment or oral capsules for the treatment of small cell lung cancer.	SCLC is most commonly caused by smoking, but can also be caused by environmental factors.	Hycamtin has also been proven to be suitable in the treatment of other cancers, including ovarian and cervical cancer.

Ixempra (Ixapebilone) – New Cancer Therapy
Structure of the breast and mammary gland.	The most common cancers diagnosed in women in the UK in 2001 out of a total of over 136,000 cases.	The mechanism by which tumour cells spread from the primary site via blood and lymph to other sits in the body.
Diagram showing the most likely sites for local and distant spread of metastases in secondary (advanced) breast cancer.	An illustration of how tumour cells develop resistance to chemotherapeutic agents, reducing their clinical effectiveness.	Ixabepilone is a microtubule inhibitor that stops cells separating during the G2 phase of the cell cycling.

KRX-0401 (Perifosine),
KRX-0401 is undergoing clinical trials for its use as treatment for multiple myeloma and multiple other forms of cancer.	Multiple myeloma is an incurable cancer occurring in the plasma cells.	In August 2009 Keryx began Phase III trials for KRX-0401, in combination with other drugs, with the primary endpoint of survival without progression.

Nexavar – Oral Anti-Cancer Agent for Treatment of Liver and Kidney Cancer
Nexavar is an oral anti-cancer agent for the treatment of kidney and liver cancer.	The clinical efficacy and safety of Nexavar has been proven in a series of clinical trials.	Nexavar is undergoing further clinical trials to determine its effectiveness in combination with other liver and kidney cancer treatments.
Liver cancer is the sixth most common globally.	Nexavar inhibits cell growth and the formation of tumour angiogenesis by working along the multiple signalling pathways.

Pertuzumab –Cancer Therapy
Structure of the breast and mammary gland.	The most common cancers diagnosed in women in the UK in 2001 out of a total of over 136,000 cases.	The mechanism by which tumour cells spread from the primary site via blood and lymph to other sites in the body.
Diagram showing the most likely sites for local and distant spread of metastases in secondary (advanced) breast cancer.

Stimuvax - Investigational Therapeutic Cancer Vaccine
Stimuvax is an investigational therapeutic vaccine for treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and breast tumours.	Stimuvax is designed to provide immunity against the cancer cells that over express Mucin 1 (MUC-1).	Stimuvax was the first investigational cancer vaccine to enrol patients for Phase III studies for NSCLC.
The Phase III clinical trial of Stimuvax, INSPIRE, was started on 10 December 2009.

Tarceva - Small Molecule
Tarceva (erlotinib) is an oral anti-cancer drug under development by OSI Pharmaceuticals, Genentech and Roche.	Over expression of EGFR is common in many solid tumours. (Source: ABPI)	Tarceva works by inhibiting receptor tyrosine kinase activity, the protein product of the EGFR gene. (Source: ABPI)
Roche R&D Centre, Basle.

Tesmilifene - Chemopotentiator for Cancer
An illustration of how tumour cells develop resistance to chemotherapeutic agents reducing their clinical effectiveness. (Source: ABPI)	An illustration of how multidrug resistant inhibitors (MDRIs) can block the p-glycoprotein (Pg) of resistant tumour cells and restore senstivity to cancer drugs. (Source: ABPI)	Cross-section of a tumour showing the invasive zone and the inner zone where oxygen and nutrient supply is reduced. (Source: ABPI)
The mechanism by which tumour cells spread (metastasise). (Source: ABPI)

Tykerb - Dual Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor
erbB receptors consist of three components: the extracellular domain to which ligands bind; a transmembrane domain; and an intracellular domain that includes tyrosine kinase.	Cross-section of a solid tumour. (Source: ABPI)	The processes in which a tumour spreads from the primary site. (Source: ABPI)

Zactima - Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor
Cross-section of the lungs.	Cross-section of a solid tumour.	The processes in which a tumour spreads from the primary site.
The cell cycle showing the points at which some classes of anticancer agents act.	Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are now used to treat several cancers including NSCLC.	NSCLC accounts for about 80% of all lung cancers.

Zybrestat - Vascular Disrupting Agent and Cancer Therapy ,
Combretastatin was first isolated from the bark of the African bush willow tree, which grows in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa.	Molecular structure of combretastatin, an anti-cancer medicine that can now be synthesised.	Drugs that target tumour blood supply represent an important new therapeutic approach to the treatment of solid tumours.
Cross-section of a solid tumour.	Illustration of the processes in which a tumour spreads (metastasizes) from its primary site.

Browse Projects