EXISTING STRENGTHS

Established research expertise in anticancer drug development and formulation, preclinical drug evaluation using in vitro and in vivo models

Advanced Therapeutics has a unique and well-established framework to assess new, targeted drugs developed by BCCA scientists and emerging biotechnology companies in British Columbia and Canada. There is a clear need for oncology focused drug development expertise in Canada and the department has an excellent reputation as an organization that can evaluate new chemotherapy strategies for potential efficacy and toxicity, whether selected agents are used alone or as part of a myriad of combinations and doses. In vitro and in vivo approaches are used to identify new curative and chronic disease control mechanisms for many different types of cancer. This effort has been well supported through academic grants, and has resulted in numerous publications, patents, as well as direct linkages to technologies being developed by local biotechnology companies (Inex Pharmaceuticals, Protiva BioTherapeutics and Celator Pharmaceuticals). As well there are close links with other local companies such as Oncogenix and QLT. This effort has also fostered development of multidisciplinary teams that include basic research scientists (Drs. Dedhar, Krystal, Roberge, Anderson, Minchinton, Aparicio and Berger) and Pathologists (Drs. Banerjee, Huntsman, Gascoyne and Gilks) that work along side clinicians and drug development experts. Of significant importance is the link of clinical oncology with research programs that promote investigations with defined clinical applications and utility. This has been well established in a number of areas, notably the development of novel agents in prostate cancer within a DOD grant award to Drs Chi and Gleave. This, in turn, helps to accelerate the introduction of our drug development activities into the clinic.

Top of Page

URL: http://www.bccrc.ca/at/AThomeStrengths.html
The BC Cancer Agency Research Centre is the research arm of the BC Cancer Agency (BCCA),
and is supported by the BC Cancer Foundation.
This page was last modified at 10:13am on August 23, 2005
© 1999-2008. BC Cancer Agency. All rights reserved.
About this website...