Kobe Univ, KNC, Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma to conduct joint research for anti-cancer compound

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Kobe University, KNC Laboratories and Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co have announced the signing of an exclusive world-wide license agreement for the development, manufacturing and sales of promising compounds co-discovered by Kobe University and KNC, that are related to the Ras signaling pathway.

According to the agreement, DSP will make an upfront payment and thereafter milestone and royalty payments to Kobe University and KNC.

In addition, DSP and Kobe University have signed a joint research agreement aiming at the discovery of anti-cancer drugs, beyond the scope of the license agreement, that are relevant to the Ras-dependent signal transduction.

Kobe University has continually aimed to contribute to society with innovative drug discovery through many years of research at Graduate School of Medicine, and to apply its knowledge to society through licensing.

On the other hand, KNC is progressing its development of business proposals in medicinal chemistry based on its own technical capabilities in organic synthesis.

Kobe University determined the three-dimensional structure of the target protein by X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy, and discovered a “druggable”, specific pocket on the surface of the target protein which can be targeted by low molecular weight compounds.

Kobe University has carried out drug discovery research in collaboration with KNC using this pocket as a “keyhole”, searching for “keys”, i.e., compounds that are able to inhibit the functions of the protein by fitting into the pocket.

Both parties have succeeded in the design and synthesis of the compounds with good anti-cancer activities in pre-clinical studies by utilizing methods such as in silico docking simulations and structural biology studies.