TORONTO, July 15 /CNW/ - Pfizer Global Research and Development is
joining forces with researchers in Ontario to discover and validate new
targets for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of colorectal cancer. The
announcement was made today by Minister of Research and Innovation, John
Milloy, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, David Caplan, Mr. Paul
Lévesque, President of Pfizer Canada, Dr. Tom Hudson, President and Scientific
Director of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) and Dr. Ben Neel,
Director of the Ontario Cancer Institute (OCI) located at the Princess
Margaret Hospital (PMH), the cancer research hospital at the University Health
Network (UHN).
The program, entitled POP-CURE (an acronym for PMH-OICR-Pfizer-CURE),
will be led by Dr. Bradly Wouters, Senior Scientist at the OCI and OICR Senior
Investigator, Selective Therapies Program. Dr. Wouters and a team of
scientists at OCI and OICR will use genomic and molecular pathology approaches
and develop a large clinical biobank to identify molecular signatures in
colorectal cancer. These molecular signatures will be used to accelerate the
development of biomarkers for early detection, monitoring and treatment of
cancer.
Colorectal cancer is currently evaluated using physical criteria and
classified based on the stage of the cancer's development. However, patient
prognosis and response to treatment varies widely at each stage, with some
patients doing much better than others, suggesting there are a number of
sub-types of colorectal cancer. Biomarkers identified by the POP-CURE study
could be used to classify colorectal cancer by sub-type at the molecular
level, providing doctors with powerful new tools for predicting patient
prognosis and response to treatment. Identification of molecular signatures
could also aid in the development of new therapeutics that target cancer cells
selectively. Because such treatments will primarily target and destroy cancer
cells, sparing normal cells, fewer side effects are expected compared to
current cancer treatments.
Pfizer Global Research and Development will contribute $6 million over
three years for the participating laboratories in Ontario. The OICR and OCI
scientists will leverage existing Ontario Government support that has been
provided to OICR and other organizations to build and utilize state-of-the-art
research infrastructure such as equipment and tissue banks. The Ministry of
Research and Innovation is investing an additional $900,000 in the POP-CURE
project through its Biopharmaceutical Investment Program, part of the
Government of Ontario's Next Generation Jobs Fund.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer (men
and women combined) in the U.S. and Canada. In 2004, the Centers for Disease
Control in the U.S. estimated that 73,997 men and 71,086 women were diagnosed
with colorectal cancer, and 26,881 men and 26,699 women died of this disease.
In Canada, an estimated 21,500 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer
in 2008, and 8,900 will die of it.
"Pfizer's decision to advance their R&D through collaboration with
Ontario researchers is a testament to the strength of our talent and our
global leadership in cancer research. New breakthroughs will continue to be
made, and we want these people, these ideas, and these high-value jobs right
here in Ontario," said Milloy.
"I am very pleased with how the vision of Ontario and Pfizer scientists
converged, and led to an exciting plan to use cutting-edge technologies and
novel concepts about cancer cells, and transform these into new clinical
strategies," said Dr. Hudson, who is serving as a principal investigator with
the POP-CURE cancer genomics research group.
"This exciting collaboration will join the world class genomics and
informatics programs at OICR, cutting edge research in cancer stem cell
biology and functional genomics at OCI/PMH and the world's largest
pharmaceutical company in a concerted effort to bring new therapies to colon
cancer patients worldwide," said Dr. Neel, who is serving as a principal
investigator with the POP-CURE project.
"Pfizer is proud to contribute to the research capacity in Ontario. The
scientists from the Pfizer Oncology Research Unit are excited to be part of
the POP-CURE initiative and to have the opportunity to collaborate and share
expertise with these leading-edge Ontario scientists and clinicians," said
Lévesque. "At Pfizer, we believe that to be truly healthy it takes more than
medication and we share POP-CURE's goal: to develop personalized tools that
could one day more effectively prevent, diagnose and treat patients suffering
from colon cancer."
About OICR
The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research is a centre of excellence,
moving Ontario to the forefront of discovery and innovation. It is dedicated
to research in prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and control
of cancer. OICR is a not-for-profit corporation funded by the Government of
Ontario through the Ministry of Research and Innovation.
About the Ontario Cancer Institute
The Ontario Cancer Institute is the research arm of the University Health
Network's (UHN) Princess Margaret Hospital. UHN consists of Toronto General,
Toronto Western and Princess Margaret Hospitals. The scope of research and
complexity of cases at University Health Network has made it a national and
international source for discovery, education and patient care. It has the
largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in
cardiology, transplantation, neurosciences, oncology, surgical innovation,
infectious diseases, and genomic medicine. University Health Network is a
research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto. For more
information, please visit www.uhn.ca.
About Pfizer
Pfizer Inc. is the world's leading pharmaceutical company. Pfizer invests
more than $7 billion annually to discover and develop life-saving and
life-enhancing medications for humans and animals. The company's Canadian
operation, Pfizer Canada Inc., is one of the largest private contributors to
health research in Canada and also donates more than $20 million annually to
support community initiatives. Headquartered in Kirkland, Quebec, Pfizer
Canada and its cross-Canada team of 1,400 employees are working together for a
healthier world.
For further information: Steve Durant, Communications Officer, Ontario
Institute for Cancer Research, Telephone: (416) 673-6659, Mobile: (416)
669-0915, E-mail: steve.durant@oicr.on.ca; Jane Finlayson, Senior Public
Affairs Advisor - Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network,
Telephone: (416) 946-2846, Pager: (416) 790-4092, Email:
jane.finlayson@uhn.on.ca; Julie-Catherine Racine, Pfizer Canada Inc.,
Corporate Communications, Telephone: (514) 693-4602, E-mail:
julie-catherine.racine@pfizer.com
