VANCOUVER
,
Dec. 3
/CNW/ - Pfizer is entering into a three-year,
$9-million
research collaboration with the BC Cancer Agency and the
Vancouver
Prostate Centre, a University of British Columbia (UBC) and
Vancouver
General Hospital (VGH) Centre of Excellence, to tackle new treatment avenues for breast, ovarian and prostate cancer. This is the single-largest investment by Pfizer into British Columbia's public research sector, and it recognizes the strength and world-class cancer expertise that resides in this province.
"While British Columbia has some of the best cancer survival outcomes and lowest incidence rates in
Canada
, we are committed to building on our successes through investments and innovations in prevention, treatment and research," said Health Services Minister
Kevin Falcon
. "I would like to thank Pfizer
Canada
for their recognition of British Columbia's cancer research abilities with their investment of
$9 million
for research into new treatments of breast, ovarian and prostate cancer."
"This investment is a major step in the fight to control cancer in tumour areas that kill thousands of British Columbians and Canadians every year," said Paul Lévesque, president, Pfizer
Canada
. "Pfizer is excited about the opportunity to collaborate with The BC Cancer Agency and the
Vancouver
Prostate Centre, as they are outstanding translational research centres with international reputations. Overall, British Columbia's research climate, capacity and expertise are why Pfizer has brought close to
$25 million
of additional investment to the province since 2007."
The research collaboration project focuses on identifying new biomarkers and treatment targets for breast and ovarian cancer, and will help Pfizer to more efficiently test new agents to delay the progression and improve survival in prostate cancer patients. The BC Cancer Agency team, led by
Dr. Samuel Aparicio
, is investigating the genomic landscape of breast cancer using next-generation sequencing, siRNA screens and the BC Cancer Agency's unique anonymous breast cancer tumour bank with detailed outcomes data on over 4,000 frozen breast cancers. The collaboration aims to identify new therapeutic targets and new biomarkers of disease and treatment.
The
Vancouver
Prostate Centre, under the leadership of
Dr. Martin Gleave
, has developed an early drug discovery platform that brings multiple experts together to rapidly and efficiently evaluate the mechanism of action and efficacy of new drug molecules.
In addition, as part of the breast cancer research program, ovarian cancer will also be decoded to identify new and much needed biomarkers and therapeutic targets for more personalized approaches in ovarian cancer treatment.
Dr. David Huntsman
, director of the Ovarian Cancer Research Program at BC Cancer Agency and
Vancouver
Coastal Health Research Institute and associate professor, department of pathology and laboratory medicine, UBC, will lead that work.
"Research collaborations with experienced industry partners are vital to translating our discoveries into effective medicines for patients. Thanks to this collaboration with Pfizer, we will be able to extend our search for new therapeutic targets and biomarkers, using the BC Cancer Agency's unique breast tumour resource," said
Dr. Samuel Aparicio
, head of the molecular oncology and breast cancer research program at the BC Cancer Agency and a professor in the department of pathology and laboratory medicine at UBC. "By combining our platforms with our anonymous, long-term data on breast cancer patients in B.C., we hope to discover new drug targets and biomarkers that will be developed into new therapies."
The research at the
Vancouver
Prostate Centre will be conducted through the Translational Research Initiative for Accelerated Discovery and Development (PC-TRIADD), directed by Gleave, who is also a distinguished professor in the department of urologic sciences, UBC faculty of medicine, and the B.C. leadership chair in prostate cancer research.
"This partnership with one of the world's major pharmaceutical companies supports and accelerates one of our key areas of focus, which is to identify why prostate cancer becomes hormone-resistant and to use this information to develop new treatments that improve the quality and longevity of life for patients," said Gleave. "We are proud to work with Pfizer and the BC Cancer Agency to continue to bring discoveries from the lab to our patient clinic and offer the best in cutting-edge treatment to British Columbians."
It is hoped this collaboration will identify new molecular entities that can be developed into therapeutics to fight cancers more rapidly. Breast cancer is the second leading cancer-related cause of death in females, and prostate cancer is the third leading cancer-related cause of death in
Canada
.
The BC Cancer Agency and the
Vancouver
Prostate Centre are respectively programs of the Provincial Health Services Authority and
Vancouver
Coastal Health Research Institute and UBC's faculty of medicine.
For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province's news feeds using RSS, visit the Province's website at www.gov.bc.ca.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Project Overview
Increasingly, discovery and development for anti-cancer medicines is focusing on better understanding the genomic differences of particular cancer cell lines and finding highly targeted and more effective ways of blocking the different aspects of cancer proliferation and survival.
With the BC Cancer Agency's unique tissue bank with extensive outcomes data, the research promises to identify novel new targets for the treatment of breast cancer. The unique preclinical capabilities of the
Vancouver
Prostate Centre will strategically build a package of data (including biomarker information) supporting the entry of Pfizer compounds into phase 1 development. This activity will help decision making for future development of compounds in hormone dependent and/or independent prostate cancer.
One of the unique aspects of this investment/collaboration is that it brings together industry and academia in a complementary research initiative that leverages the research capabilities of the BC Cancer Agency and the
Vancouver
Prostate Centre, a UBC and VGH Centre of Excellence, with Pfizer's discovery and development expertise of new chemical entities.
Facts and Stats about Breast Cancer in
Canada
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer). One in nine women is expected to develop breast cancer during her lifetime and one in 28 will die of it.
In 2009 in Canada:(1)
- An estimated 22,700 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and
5,400 will die of it.
- In BC(2), an estimated 3000 women will be diagnosed with breast
cancer and 615 will die of it.
- An estimated 180 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 50 will
die of it.
- On average, 437 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer
every week.
- On average, 104 Canadian women will die of breast cancer every week.
--------------------------------
(1) Source for National Statistics: Canadian Cancer Society: Canadian
Cancer Statistics 2009
(2) Source for BC Specific Statistics: BC Cancer Agency
Breast cancer death rates have declined in every age group since at least the mid 1990s. In women aged 20-39, breast cancer incidence and death rates have declined since 1969.
Facts and Stats about Prostate Cancer in Canada
- Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer, and a leading
cause of cancer-related death of men.
- Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian men
(excluding non-melanoma skin cancer).
- It's estimated that one in six men over the age of 50 will get
prostate cancer in his lifetime.
- An estimated 25,500 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and
4,400 will die of it.
- In BC, 3500 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, and
520 will die of it.
- On average, 490 Canadian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer
every week.
- On average, 85 Canadian men will die of prostate cancer every week.
Facts and Stats about Ovarian Cancer in Canada
- Approximately 2500 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer each
year in Canada and 1750 will die of it.
- An estimated 310 BC women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer each
year, and 220 will die of it.
- Ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer death in Canadian
women.
Pfizer Oncology
Pfizer Oncology is an independent business unit within Pfizer Inc. and was established to accelerate innovation by pursuing research focused on a personalized approach to cancer treatment and tailoring therapy based on the molecular and/or biologic make-up of the disease.
Pfizer Oncology has a robust pipeline that consists of 22 biologics and small molecules in development, including several first-in-class compounds. In addition, there are 200 clinical trials currently running, including 14 phase III trials,
Pfizer Oncology works collaboratively with academic institutions, individual researchers, cooperative research groups, governments, and licensing partners to further its extensive research and development program.
Breast Cancer Research at the BC Cancer Agency
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy affecting women in the Western world today, but improved tools are needed for the assessment of prognosis and treatment prediction. Moreover certain subtypes of breast cancer, such as triple negative breast cancer have no truly targeted therapies and there is a desperate need to find novel drug targets. The team will be focused on identifying new drug targets and developing biomarkers for guiding therapy in patients.
Dr. Sam Aparicio
(whose research program was launched a few years ago through a large investment of funds from the BC Cancer Foundation) and his team are using the next generation genome sequencing methods available through the
Michael Smith
Genome Science Centre, led by
Dr. Marco Marra
. They are able to draw on the BC Cancer Agency's unique breast tissue bank led by
Dr. Peter Watson
, which has over 4000 frozen breast cancers, and over 17 years of associated outcomes data, as well as an associated live tumour cryopreservation program. This provides researchers at the BC Cancer Agency with the ability to link discoveries to the behaviour tumours in patients over a long period of time.
Prostate Cancer Research at the
Vancouver
Prostate Centre
Prostate Cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer in men and one of the leading causes of cancer death in
North America
. If caught early, prostate cancer can often be cured by surgery or radiation. However, if the disease is more advanced, treatment to block the production of male hormones (testosterone) that feeds prostate cancer cells is needed. However, some cancer cells survive and learn to live without testosterone. When this happens, the life expectancy of patients drops to only 18 months. Researchers at the
Vancouver
Prostate Centre have been evaluating new ways to target the Androgen receptor, believed to play a role in treatment resistance.
Under the leadership of
Dr. Martin Gleave
, the overall goal of the prostate program through the Pfizer collaboration is to develop robust preclinical proof-of-principle packages for selected Pfizer pipeline drugs, thereby helping guide decision making for future clinical development in hormone dependent and/or independent prostate cancer. The research will come under the Prostate Centre's TRIADD (Translational Research Initiative for Accelerated Discovery and Development) division. PC-TRIADD is a designated federal Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR), which recently attracted a
$15 million
investment from the federal government to support prostate, breast, and ovarian cancer research.
Ovarian Cancer under the OvCare Program
The collaboration with Pfizer will also extend to ovarian cancers, in partnership with
Dr. David Huntsman
, Director of The Ovarian Cancer Research Program (OvCare), a program of the BC Cancer Agency and the
Vancouver
Coastal Health Research Institute. The team will be focused on identifying new drug targets and developing biomarkers for guiding therapy in patients.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Richard Fajzel - Pfizer
Richard Fajzel is currently General Manager, Oncology Business Unit with Pfizer
Canada
, a position he has held since
January 2009
. From 2001 to 2008, he gained extensive oncology experience as Director of Marketing followed by Director of Sales for the Specialty Market division. During this time he led the Specialty Business Model development for the Oncology-HIV portfolio, successfully oversaw the launch of Sutent and developed the Institutional Key Account Management division. Richard holds a Bachelors of Arts from McGill University as well as a Master of Business Administration from
Concordia University
, where he was on the Dean's Honour List.
Dr. Sam Aparicio
- BC Cancer Agency
Dr. Aparicio
is head of the Department of Molecular Oncology at the BC Cancer Agency and is the University of British Columbia Nan and
Lorraine Robertson
Chair of Breast Cancer Research and a
Canada
Research Chair holder in Molecular Oncology. He was recruited to British Columbia four years ago, from the University of Cambridge, UK, where his research was based for 14 years.
Dr. Aparicio
trained in internal medicine and molecular pathology in the UK and was co-founder of the UK and
Singapore
based biotech company, Paradigm Therapeutics.
Dr. Aparicio
also co-leads an Anglo-Canadian partnership using integrated genomic analysis to define the number of disease subtypes in breast cancer with
Dr. Carlos Caldas
in Cambridge. Recently the BC Cancer Agency team led by
Dr. Aparicio
, published the results of the world first deep genome sequencing of a breast cancer from a patient (Nature,
October 8
, 2009).
Dr. Martin Gleave
-
Vancouver
Prostate Centre
Dr. Martin Gleave
is Executive Director of the
Vancouver
Prostate Centre; Distinguished Professor in the Department of Urologic Sciences at the University of British Columbia; and the Liber Ero BC Leadership Chair in Prostate Cancer Research. He has published more than 240 peer-reviewed papers, and currently has more than
$50M
in peer reviewed funding.
Dr. Gleave
's major research focus involves the study of cellular and molecular mechanisms mediating progression of prostate cancer to its lethal stage of androgen independence, and use of this information to develop integrated multimodality therapies that specifically target these mechanisms. He has characterized the functional role of many survival genes in cancer progression, leading to several patented targeted inhibitors, and first-in-human trials of new anti-cancer drugs. These targeted anti-cancer drugs have been licensed from UBC to OncoGenex Technologies, a Vancouver-based biotechnology company founded by
Dr. Gleave
.
INSTITUTIONS INVOLVED OR CONNECTED TO THE RESEARCH COLLABORATION
Pfizer
Canada
Inc.
Pfizer
Canada
Inc. is the Canadian operation of Pfizer Inc., the world's leading biopharmaceutical company. The company is one of the largest contributors to health research in
Canada
. Pfizer's diversified health care portfolio includes human and animal biologic and small molecule medicines and vaccines, as well as nutritional products and many of the world's best-known consumer products. Every day, Pfizer
Canada
employees work to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. We apply science and our global resources to improve the health and well being of Canadians at every stage of life. Our commitment is reflected in everything Pfizer does, from our disease awareness initiatives to our community partnerships, to our belief that it takes more than medication to be truly healthy. To learn more about Pfizer's More than Medication philosophy and programs, visit www.morethanmedication.ca. To learn more about Pfizer
Canada
, visit www.pfizer.ca.
BC Cancer Agency
The BC Cancer Agency, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority, is committed to reducing the incidence of cancer, reducing the mortality from cancer, and improving the quality of life of those living with cancer. It provides a comprehensive cancer control program for the people of British Columbia by working with community partners to deliver a range of oncology services, including prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, research, education, supportive care, rehabilitation and palliative care. The BC Cancer Foundation raises funds to support research and enhancements to patient care at the BC Cancer Agency. For more information, please visit www.bccancer.bc.ca.
The
Vancouver
Prostate Centre, a Centre of Excellence at UBC and VGH
The
Vancouver
Prostate Centre (VPC) is a Centre of Excellence created by Health
Canada
in 1999. The VPC has 9 principal investigators as well as a staff complement of over 70, including post-doctoral and clinical fellows, graduate students, co-op students, clinical research nurses, technicians, and support staff. In addition to basic scientific projects ranging from molecular biology to functional genomics, its research programs encompass clinical trials, socio-behavioural studies and research into complementary and alternative medicine. The VPC has a strong funding base supported through an aggressive fund raising campaign by VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation, which has raised
$41 million
toward a goal of
$45 Million
. In addition, the senior investigators have brought in more than
$15 Million
in grant and industrial funding in the past 5 years. Visit www.prostatecentre.com and www.pctriadd.com for more information.
Provincial Health Services Authority
The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) plans, manages and evaluates selected specialty and province-wide health care services across BC, working with the five geographic health authorities to deliver province-wide solutions that improve the health of British Columbians. For more information, please visit www.phsa.ca.
VCH Research Institute
VCH Research Institute is one of Canada's top funded health sciences research centres, with
$136 million
in total research funding for 2007/2008. The institute is the research arm of
Vancouver
Coastal Health Authority and the health partner of the University of British Columbia. VCH Research Institute's major programs include the
Vancouver
Prostate Centre, the Brain Research Centre, Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Ovarian Cancer Research Program, and more. Visit www.vchri.ca
The UBC Faculty of Medicine
The UBC Faculty of Medicine provides innovative programs in the health and life sciences, teaching students at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels, and generates more than
$200 million
in research funding each year. In 2007/08, out of the total UBC research endeavour, 53 percent, or
$247 million
, came from academic and clinical teams in the Faculty of Medicine. For more information, please visit www.med.ubc.ca/home.htm.
For more information
Pfizer Canada
Julie-Catherine Racine, Senior Manager Corporate Communications
Tel: (514) 693-4602 Cell: (514) 239-2393
Email: [email protected]
BC Cancer Agency
Rob McMahon, Communications Manager
Tel: (604) 877-6272
Email: [email protected]
The Vancouver Prostate Centre
Lisa Carver, Regional Communications Leader
Tel: (604) 875-4111 x 61777
Cell: (604) 319-7533
Email: [email protected]
/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/
For further information: Media contact: Bernadette Murphy, Media Relations Manager, Ministry of Health Services, (250) 952-1887 (media line), (250) 213-9590 (cell); Rob McMahon, Communications Specialist, BC Cancer Agency, (604) 877-6272; Lisa Carver, Regional Communications Leader, The Vancouver Prostate Centre, (604) 875-4111 x61777
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