New $15m frontier technology centre to develop next-generation cancer drugs

13 October 2023

Australia has a new frontier technology centre that is set to revolutionise drug development for metastatic prostate cancer and childhood neuroblastoma.

The Australian Centre for Targeted Therapeutics (ACTT) has been awarded $15 million from the Medical Research Future Fund’s Frontier Health and Medical Research initiative to develop next-generation medicines to treat diseases in ways that have been impossible until now.

At a glance

  • The new Australian Centre for Targeted Therapeutics (ACTT) will develop targeted protein degrader medicines and technology, a powerful new tool for destroying disease-causing proteins that cannot be targeted by conventional drugs.
  • The collaboration between experts from WEHI, the Children’s Cancer Institute and Monash University will initially focus on new treatments for two cancers: neuroblastoma and prostate cancer.
  • With $15 million in support from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), the establishment of the ACTT is set to jumpstart a new biotech industry in Australia and pave the way for the nation to become a major player in this frontier technology, delivering significant health and economic benefits.

Professor Susan Charman

Professor Susan Charman, Director of Monash's Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation

The majority of the 150,000 Australians diagnosed with cancer every year will be treated with drugs developed over 25 years ago that can cause severe side-effects.

While scientists have uncovered many of the drivers of cancer, about 80% of all disease-causing proteins have been considered “undruggable”.

With new targeted protein degrader technology, researchers can create next-generation cancer medicines as well as treatments for many illnesses that were previously thought to be untreatable.

The ACTT - a collaboration between experts from WEHI, the Children’s Cancer Institute and Monash University - is the first research centre of its kind in Australia, focusing on the development of targeted protein degrader medicines and technology.

WEHI acting director, Professor Alan Cowman AC, said the centre would help kickstart a new biotech industry for Australia, establishing the nation as a leader in this frontier technology.

“Targeted protein degrader technology is one of the most exciting advances in drug discovery and development, with the potential to make a transformative impact,” Professor Cowman said.

“By bringing together a team of leading scientists and clinicians, and establishing a highly skilled workforce, the ACTT will enable Australia to become a major player in this pioneering technology.

“The COVID-19 pandemic revealed a vulnerability in Australia due to our lack of sovereign capability in drug discovery and development.

“The ACTT will help to bridge the critical gap between discovery and translation, a vital investment that will strengthen the nation’s ability to develop innovative drugs against current and future health threats.”

With further investment, the centre has the potential to deliver significant revenue into Australia through co-development and licensing deals.

The MRFF Frontier Health and Medical Research initiative funding will enable research to validate promising drug development targets identified for neuroblastoma and prostate cancer treatments, positioning these research programs for progression towards clinical trials.

The ACTT platform will also be used to broaden the range of proteins – and diseases – that can be targeted by protein degrader technology.

The ACTT will take advantage of world-leading Australian cancer experts and research to progress targeted protein degrader treatments for neuroblastoma and prostate cancer towards clinical trials, including Monash’s Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation (CDCO), based within the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, which provides lead optimisation support to drug discovery programs focused on a range of disease indications including cancer, CNS disorders, cardiovascular and metabolic disease and infectious diseases.

Professor Susan Charman, Director of the CDCO and ACTT Chief Investigator, will lead the biopharmaceutical investigations that will define the dosing route and frequency to achieve maximum efficacy and avoid unwanted side effects.

Professor Charman said: “Understanding the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion properties of novel protein degrader molecules will be critical to realising the full potential of this new therapeutic class.”

Director of the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Professor Chris Porter, said the centre represents what can be achieved through cross-institutional collaboration.

“We have an exceptional pool of medical research talent in Australia and its vital that we bring together expertise and resources wherever possible to address urgent unmet medical needs that impact the lives of millions of people around the world. This is a fantastic example of that approach” said Professor Porter.

Chief investigators at the Australian Centre for Targeted Therapeutics: Professor John Silke (WEHI), Professor Guillaume Lessene (WEHI), Professor Michelle Haber (Children’s Cancer Institute), Professor David Komander (WEHI), Professor Susan Charman (Monash University), Dr Rebecca Feltham (WEHI), Dr Bernhard Lechtenberg (WEHI).

The chief investigators acknowledge the support and guidance of Professor Mark Dawson (Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne) in the establishment of the ACTT.

Originally published by WEHI, available here.

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