Platinum Discovery has successfully completed a major contract to discover tumour-specific targets for a new generation of anti-cancer therapies. A spin-out company from the University of Dundee, Platinum Discovery has provided research expertise to spearhead an initiative aimed at finding more effective treatments for cancers of unmet need.
“We are delighted to see our growing relationship with the University of Dundee delivering cutting-edge science and building an exciting new area for drug development.”
Platinum Discovery CEO Mukesh Moorjani
In collaboration with the University of Dundee and Tayside Clinical Trials Unit (TCTU) at Tayside Medical Science Centre, based at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, Platinum Discovery led the collaboration with Epitopea, a trans-Atlantic cancer immunotherapeutic company. Platinum Discovery successfully screened for targets uniquely found on the surface of tumour tissue. The client now plans to develop immunotherapeutics targeting these novel targets using a range of modalities. Platinum Discovery’s CSO, Professor Angus Lamond, commented, “This project provided an excellent opportunity to work in partnership with the University of Dundee to leverage the great expertise in clinical resources, life sciences research.”
The close partnership between Platinum Discovery, the University of Dundee, and TCTU provided a unique ‘end-to-end’ service that spanned experimental design, acquisition of tumour samples, laboratory processing, and data analysis. This collaboration resulted in the successful completion of the contract with Epitopea. Tumour samples were collected in a Dundee-led UK multi-centre prospective clinical trial. The project benefited from proprietary informatics tools developed by Platinum Discovery, enabling the work to be completed efficiently and on schedule. “This multidisciplinary collaboration has allowed us to combine academic research, clinical expertise, and industrial innovation, creating a synergistic environment that fosters scientific breakthroughs and positions us to accelerate the development of innovative treatments for cancer, ultimately improving patient outcomes”, added Dr Bela Sanches, Platinum Discovery Head of Scientific Operations.
This complex project has extended Epitopea’s repertoire of proprietary antigens to new solid cancer indications allowing it to broaden its pipeline of transformational immunotherapies benefiting patients suffering the burdens of these cancers. Professor of Medical Oncology, University of Dundee, and NHS Tayside Director of Research and Development, Russell Petty, who is the chief investigator of the associated clinical trial said: “This has been a great opportunity to address the urgent need for improved treatments for those types of cancer for which we currently have only limited options available. We are proud to have played a key role in Dundee in the fight against cancer with this precision cancer medicine project, which aims to help patients’ own immune systems beat the disease.”
“Epitopea’s mission to extend the benefits of immunotherapy to more cancer patients is potentially well served by the newly discovered repertoire of targets identified during this project. We have enjoyed a collaborative working relationship with Platinum, who have diligently delivered on this ambitious project. While there is considerable work to be done inside the walls of Epitopea, we thank Platinum for their effort”.
Epitopea’s CSO, Dr. Jon Moore
Further information
About Platinum Discovery
Platinum Discovery provides a unique, Tumour to Target Platform for cancer vaccine development. We are a Scottish pre-clinical research partner specialising in immunopeptidomics, proteomics and related protein chemistry and analytics.
Platinum Discovery combines deep understanding of the human proteome and the tools of its analysis with professional project design and management capabilities. We offer a comprehensive, end-to-end drug discovery pipeline for the identification of cancer neoantigens, as well as being able to utilise our expertise to support translational science activities for clinical trial patient samples.
