Our innovative ProTide technology has been used to develop drug compounds that could make cancer treatments more effective.

Millions of cancer patients are prescribed chemotherapy which uses nucleoside-based drugs to try and target cancer cells. However, some types of cancer are resistant to these drugs. Cardiff University researchers have used their pro-nucleotide (ProTide) technology to develop new compounds which work in conjunction with existing chemotherapy drugs to make them more effective. Three of our anti-cancer ProTides have entered clinical trials, bringing new hope for patients living with some of the hardest to treat cancers.

Using Cardiff University technology to transform anti-cancer drugs

Our ProTide compounds were initially used to enhance the effectiveness of anti-viral drugs to treat a range of life-threatening viruses. In more recent years, the research team at Cardiff University's School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has expanded the use of ProTides to target drug-resistant cancers.

By the end of 2021, our ProTides were in clinical development across a range of clinical studies including:

Clinical trials for a derivative of 5-fluorouracil designed to target advanced solid tumours

This trial has demonstrated positive benefits in terms of activity and safety compared to the standard 5-fluorouracil treatment of solid cancer tumours.  Further clinical studies are now underway to determine how effective this ProTide could be when used in conjunction with different colorectal cancer drugs.

Clinical trials for a ProTide transformation of cordycepin

Cordycepin demonstrated potent anti-cancer activity in pre-clinical studies but had not been developed as chemotherapy drug due to its rapid metabolic breakdown. Our ProTide transformation of Cordycep is currently undergoing a clinical study in patients with solid tumours.

These trials could lead to enhanced treatments to tackle a range of hard-to-treat cancers in the coming years.