Cancer Research UK to trial AstraZeneca asthma drug candidate for kidney cancer

Cancer Research UK and Cancer Research Technology (the charity’s development and commercialization arm) have reached an agreement with Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) to take AZD2098, an experimental drug originally designed for asthma, into a clinical trial to treat kidney cancer.

This deal with AstraZeneca will enable the charity’s Drug Development Office to complete preclinical development and carry out early clinical trials of the compound to see if it can benefit kidney cancer patients. Cancer Research UK’s DDO is also funding the early phase trial of AZD2098 in which up to 40 patients will take part commencing in 2015.

Action of AZD2098

AZD2098 targets a molecule found on immune cells called CCR4, which is important for directing these cells to where they need to go. It is thought that in kidney cancer, immune cells move to the tumor because of this molecule. Once the immune cells arrive, the tumor often forces them to become inactive, or worse, help the cancer develop.