S. Korean lab to conduct joint cancer research with Pfizer

SEOUL, May 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's state-run bioscience laboratory said
Sunday it will receive research and development (R&D) funds from Pfizer Inc. to
jointly find cancer treatment materials.
The two-year project aims to find candidate materials that can be used to fight
liver and stomach cancer, the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and
Biotechnology (KRIBB) said.
The Daejeon-based institute declined to elaborate on the amount of funding, but
said the collaborative effort will involve Pfizer providing antibodies and other
compounds that could kill cancerous growths, with KRIBB making available its own
extensive database on genes and proteins associated with liver and stomach
cancer.
With state support, the local laboratory has collected about 2,500 tissue samples
in the last decade that can be used to advance research.
The Korean tissue database is to be used to find a suitable "target," with
Pfizer's antibodies to be used to check if there is a viable effect that can lead
to more advanced development.
"The tie-up promises to merge KRIBB's gene database and Pfizer's proven record of
developing new drugs to help speed up treatment for liver and stomach cancer,"
said Yoo Hyang-sook, the chief Korean researcher of the project, adding that the
project can become a new role model for the country in finding new drugs.
She added that the formal deal, to be signed in Seoul on Monday, is a clear sign
that Pfizer recognizes the competence of local laboratories and scientists.
The New York-based company is a leading research-based biomedical and
pharmaceutical company. The company has been an active player in finding
innovative treatments for cancer, with its Sutent drug designed to destroy
cellular reproduction and cut the blood supply that feeds tumors.
The company reported earnings of US$48.4 billion in 2007, with R&D investment
reaching $8.1 billion.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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