Focus on ICT2588

ICT2588 is our most recent success, a drug heading towards the clinic. The drug is inactive in the body until it reaches the tumour, where a specific protease (MT1-MMP) recognises and ‘activates’ the drug, releasing the active cytotoxic agent selectively in tumour tissue.

Developed by Prof Robert Falconer, Prof Paul Loadman and jointly funded by Cancer Research UK and Yorkshire Cancer Research the technology formed the basis for the launch of Incanthera Ltd (now plc), an ICT/University of Bradford spin-out company and now licenced to Ellipses Pharma.

CLIO-ICT, a combined therapy and diagnostic version of ICT2588 (a ‘theranostic’) developed in conjunction with Prof Heike Daldrup at Stanford University Medical School. CLIO-ICT is being evaluated by the National Cancer Institute, USA, and is a potential candidate for clinical trials.