Laval-based INRS hopes lung cancer treatment has commercial promise

The Laval-based Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) is launching a brave new phase of lung cancer research, after receiving a subsidy of nearly $698,000 from the Quebec Ministry for Economic Development, Innovation and Exports.

Promising treatment
The INRS will be undertaking a phase I/IIa clinical study aimed at making a promising new lung cancer treatment commercially viable.
The researchers will be investigating the efficiency and patient tolerance levels for a combination of anti-cancer drugs discovered by a team led by Prof. Michel Charbonneau of the INRS/Institut Armand-Frappier. The government funding will only be covering part of the cost for the research, whose total price is estimated at $1.7 million.

Investors sought
While it wasn’t entirely clear where the rest of the money will come from, a statement issued by the Quebec ministry during a press conference at the INRS on Jan. 17 said the project is also receiving “significant support” from Gestion Valeo, which is a research fund managed by a consortium of several of Quebec’s major universities. Charbonneau also suggested that encouraging results could end up attracting private investors.
“Despite the discovery of new therapeutic goals and new molecules, lung cancer remains the main cause of death from cancer in Quebec,” said Chomedey Liberal MNA Guy Ouellette, who was representing Economic Development Minister Clément Gignac.

Ouellette convinced
“In 2010, nearly 6,600 Quebecers unfortunately succumbed to this disease,” he continued. “Chemotherapy is to this day the best treatment to treat the advanced stages of cancer, but it comes with significant inconveniences. I am convinced that the work of Prof. Charbonneau’s team will lead to an alternative that is more efficient than the existing treatments.”
The government has a definite interest in seeing that an improved lung cancer treatment is developed in Quebec. While Minister Gignac was not present for the announcement, he said in a statement that by financially supporting scientific leadership, the government would like to see that the research results and the knowledge gained are promoted internationally. The ministry, whose mandate is partly to improve the competitiveness of Quebec businesses, maintains that it is convinced the results obtained until now at the INRS are “very promising.”

Two key molecules
The researchers have so far found that the combination of two molecules known for their anti-cancer properties, namely genistein (one of several known isoflavones) and 5-AZA-CdR, are useful in producing a significant reduction in the growth of lung, breast and colon cancer cells, as well as certain types of leukemia. In addition, the research demonstrated that this new combination is efficient in attacking cells that are resistant to chemotherapy, which is often the case with lung cancer patients.

Investing in R & D
“This financial assistance from the government of Quebec provides an undeniable advantage,” said Charbonneau. “It will encourage businesses to associate themselves with a university by investing in a research and development project. In the present case, this assistance will facilitate the transfer of our discovery from the laboratory into a more efficient treatment.
“We can allow ourselves to hope that not only will this treatment lead to longer lives for the patients, but also that it will give them a better quality of life,” he continued. “This government support is an essential tool for us to become better known in the field of lung cancer treatment.”