Champions Biotechnology, Inc. has entered into a royalty agreement with Concordia Pharmaceuticals for the use of Salirasib, Concordia's novel compound for the treatment of cancer, in combination with another targeted drug.

Under the terms of the agreement, Champions will use its Biomerk Tumorgraft Preclinical Platform to evaluate a combination therapy indication for Salirasib, a RAS antagonist. This agreement modifies an earlier preclinical services agreement between the companies and now provides royalty rights for Champions Biotechnology for a specific combination therapy indication for Salirasib in the event that required milestones are achieved.

"This is a further example of our ability to leverage our preclinical technology to create high potential for Champions Biotechnology while enhancing the value of drugs for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies," said Doug Burkett, Ph.D., president of Champions Biotechnology, Inc. "Based on our predictive Biomerk Tumorgraft platform, it is our intent to build a low attrition pipeline of cancer drugs that we own, co-own or to which we have royalty rights. We are very pleased to enter into this promising arrangement with Concordia Pharmaceuticals."

Salirasib is a novel, orally available, targeted Ras inhibitor being developed for treatment of a wide range of malignancies including pancreatic, lung, colon and other cancers. Salirasib is not a farnesyltransferase inhibitor (FTI) or Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) antagonist; Salirasib appears to inhibit Ras signaling by dislodging all isoforms of Ras from galectin membrane binding sites. Salirasib is the first targeted molecule to demonstrate an ability to reduce total Ras protein levels (both wild-type and mutated) in primary human tumours.

Clinical studies have been and are being performed at recognized Centers of Excellence, including, M.D. Anderson (safety, pharmacokinetic and food effect studies in both solid tumor and hematologic malignancies), Johns Hopkins University (a Phase I/II study dosing Salirasib + Gemcitabine for the treatment of newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer patients) and Memorial Sloan-Kettering (a Phase II trial treating both treatment naïve and previously treated lung cancer patients with Salirasib mono-therapy).

Champions Biotechnology, Inc. is engaged in the development of advanced preclinical platforms and predictive tumour specific data to enhance and accelerate the value of oncology drugs.