Pre-clinical studies have shown how CV6-168, when used in combination with standard cancer therapies will not only induce cancer cell death while but simultaneously stimulate the patient’s own immune system, which further enhances its potency as an anti-cancer agent.

CV6-168 will be the first novel cancer drugs to be developed and trialed in Northern Ireland.

“This is a landmark achievement for cancer research at the Patrick G. Johnston Centre for Cancer Research,” said PGJCCR Director Professor Dan Longley. “A cancer drug developed in Belfast that will be used to treat patients in Belfast.”

The trial is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2024 with sites including Belfast, Glasgow, Newcastle, and the Royal Marsden in London. This UK multi-centre clinical trial will further test the drug and will combine CV6-168 with 5-FU, a drug typically used to treat multiple malignancies, in particular those of the gastrointestinal tract, such as colon, gastric, and pancreatic cancers.

CV6 Therapeutics was originally founded by Dr Robert Ladner in Los Angeles before relocating to Northern Ireland in 2015, attracted by the research capabilities here and the opportunity to collaborate with PGJCCR and Queen’s University. It now employs a team of researchers who specialise in leading edge cancer research. Dr Ladner, current CEO, adds that “This regulatory approval is a key milestone as we progress CV6-168 into a first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial. Our innovative drug is a promising new approach to cancer treatment, with the potential to treat many millions of patients annually, across multiple high-incidence cancer types.”

Professor Sir Ian Greer, QUB Vice-Chancellor, emphasises how “tackling cancer is an integral part of the University’s ‘One Health Strategy’. This success highlights our ability to lead and deliver high quality research with real patient impact."