Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc., a drug discovery company, announced that it has granted an exclusive license of its lead anti-cancer compound, LB-100, for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Asia to Taipei Medical University (TMU). LB-100 is not currently approved for treatment of HCC.

Under the license, Taipei Medical University will determine the effectiveness of LB-100 against HCC in clinical trials conducted in compliance with both Taiwanese and American regulatory requirements. TMU will pay milestone and royalty payments to Lixte. Both parties recognize that development of improved therapy for HCC has been very challenging and that success cannot be guaranteed.

John S. Kovach M.D., founder and president of Lixte, said "LB-100 is a novel small molecule that in preclinical studies has activity against a number of different cancer types alone and, most prominently, in combination with cytotoxic drugs, including some known to be active against hepatocellular carcinoma. We welcome an opportunity to work with an outstanding group of investigators in Taiwan to assess the value of LB-100 against this all-too-common and devastating cancer."

HCC is the fifth most common cancer and third most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide, with the majority of those deaths in Asia. The World Cancer Research Fund International reported that 782,000 new cases were diagnosed in 2012 worldwide. There are approximately 35,000 new cases and 24,000 deaths from HCC annually in the US, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Taipei Medical University has nine colleges, thirteen undergraduate schools, fifteen graduate institutes, as well as three affiliated hospitals with approximately three thousand beds. TMU is one of the largest health care systems in Taipei, providing teaching, research and clinical services. In 2012 they established the Taipei Cancer Center, the first world-class cancer center in Taiwan, combining cancer research, training and clinical treatment, dedicated to providing the full spectrum of services for adult and pediatric oncology.