720028A new drug targeting the enzymes TBK1 and IKKe for the treatment of cancerClosedGRD Development of PrototypeInnovate UKOur aim is to invent a new drug for the treatment of several common cancers through inhibition of the enzymes IKKe and/or TBK1. Recent academic research has shown that blocking these closely-related protein kinases will stop cancer cells growing, and force them to die. Furthermore these enzymes are important in some inflamatory diseases, obesity, and Type 2 diabetes. Our initial markets are breast and ovarian cancers. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women – every year it affects over a million women worldwide - and is the leading cause of death for women aged 40-44. The five-year survival rate for Stage V cancer patients (advanced disease progression) is just 16%. Ovarian cancer is rarely diagnosed in its early stages and is usually quite advanced by the time diagnosis is made, resulting in poor prognoses. The five-year survival rate for all stages is only 35% to 38%. An IKKe/TBK1 inhibitor would have a significant impact on patients with these cancers, leading to better quality of life, and improved five-year survival rates. This drug will also reduce healthcare costs because unlike many existing drugs, this new treatment will be designed to be taken as a pill at home, rather than by infusion in hospital. The objective of this programme is to identify a candidate drug that is effective in disease models and would be orally well-absorbed by humans. The subsequent commercialisation of this new drug would be through a partnership with a large pharmaceutical company with the resources to take on this expensive stage of product development. Domainex is presently a leader in this field. The funding of this proposal will allow Domainex to recruit a number of scientists – preserving highly-skilled drug discovery jobs in the UK. Given recent trends in the pharmaceutical industry it is very likely that the future of drug research in this country will be based largely upon the success and growth of biotechnology companies such as Domainex.