Biotechs Target Cancer Metabolism

Over the past two decades cancer researchers have devoted significant time, energy, and resources to elucidating at the molecular level how misregulation of cellular signaling – especially the role of kinases – results in tumor formation. The efforts have produced some notable successes, including the launch of medicines such as Novartis AG's Gleevec (imatinib), AstraZeneca PLC's Iressa (gefitinib) , and Tarceva (erlotinib) from OSI Pharmaceuticals LLC (now a division of Astellas Pharma Inc.[See Deal]) and Roche. But despite significant advances, such drugs are far from a cure-all, with tumor cells finding work-arounds that allow them to survive and proliferate even in their presence.

As drug companies continue to search for promising new therapies that can be used in combination with kinase inhibitors, a...