Moffitt Cancer Center Completes License Agreement Granting Exclusive Rights to a Novel, Targeted Cancer Compound

August 04, 2006

TAMPA, Fla.– The Office of Technology Management and Commercialization (OTMC) and Moffitt Technologies Corporation (MTC) announced that H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute and Yale University have signed an exclusive license agreement with a pharmaceutical company. The agreement grants Florida-based, Tigris Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the exclusive rights to commercially develop GFB-204, an anti-angiogenic cancer compound.

Blood vessels are vital to the growth of tumors because they provide tumors with essential nutrients. GFB-204 precludes tumor growth by preventing the formation of new blood vessels and maintenance of existing blood vessels. When used in animal models, GFB-204 inhibited the growth of a wide variety of tumors. This compound was co-developed by Said Sebti, Ph.D., Director of Moffitt’s Drug Discovery Program and Dr. Andrew Hamilton at Yale University.

“The out-licensing of this very important molecularly targeted compound to Tigris Pharmaceuticals is a significant milestone for the Moffitt Cancer Center,” says Sebti.

Tigris plans to initiate Phase I clinical trials for GFB-204 in 2007. Under the terms of the agreements, Tigris will pay development based milestones as well as royalties based on sales of the licensed products. If Tigris is successful in obtaining FDA approval for GFB-204, the license agreement could generate substantial revenue for Moffitt and Yale University.

"Moffitt Cancer Center is delighted that the highly talented team of Tigris will be championing the further development of GFB-204 with the intent of bringing this potent, oncology drug to market," says Charles Resnick, Interim President and CEO of MTC.

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The OTMC was established in July 2003 to provide assistance in matters relating to intellectual property and technology management. The office identifies and protects novel technologies that will contribute to the prevention, detection and cure of cancer. The MTC is a wholly owned, for-profit subsidiary whose responsibility is to commercialize intellectual property that arises from basic and clinical research at Moffitt in order to rapidly bring new technologies and treatments to the marketplace.

In 2001, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute earned NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center status in recognition of its excellence in research and contributions to clinical trials, prevention and cancer control. Additionally, Moffitt is a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a prestigious alliance of the country’s leading cancer centers, and is listed in U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s Best Hospitals for cancer. Moffitt’s sole mission is to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer.

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