EDMONTON, Alberta, August 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --
Edmonton's GIC in pursuit of new
immuno-oncology therapy
Edmonton's General
Intermediates of Canada Inc. (GIC) announced today that they have
received conditional funding from the National
Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance
Program (NRC IRAP) related to their discovery of a new
immuno-oncology compound that could play a role in the fight
against cancer.
The company is currently conducting studies on a family of
compounds targeted towards the Adenosine 2a receptor. In tumors,
adenosine stops T-cells from destroying cancer cells. It is felt
that by blocking A2a receptors, the anti-cancer response of T-cells
will improve and trigger the body's immune system to fight the
tumour.
"The blockade of A2a represents the next generation of cancer
immuno-therapy. A lot of research and investment dollars have
flowed into this space in the last several years and we feel our
family of compounds addresses the outstanding needs in this area.
This funding from the NRC IRAP will allow us to finalize the last
bit of pre-clinical work we have outstanding," said GIC's lead
scientist, Dr. Glenn Weagle.
GIC's work on A2a follows on the heels of another highly
successful NRC IRAP project they did which concluded in 2016. That
project was related to providing a starting material for a new
cancer drug under development by a large, multi-national
pharmaceutical company.
"GIC has a long-standing reputation in the pharma industry for
making high quality intermediates, particularly those that are
difficult to make," said Weagle. "We are now taking that expertise
and shifting our focus towards new pharmaceuticals. Our early
results are very positive and we are excited to bring this compound
forward in the fight against cancer."
About General Intermediates of Canada Inc.: GIC has been
a contract manufacturer of small molecules for over 35 years. The
molecules synthesized by GIC are the starting materials in drugs
for a wide variety of diseases and treatments, including those for
MS, Parkinson's disease, asthmatics, anti-virals, and
chemotherapeutics. In addition, GIC has world-leading expertise in
the production of ultra-pure nucleosides for the drug and high-tech
industries.
Contacts:
Dr. Glenn Weagle
17319 108 Ave NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5S 1G2
+1-780-483-2783
General Intermediates of Canada Inc.
Twitter: @GIC_News
news@generalintermediates.com