News Story

Professor Hogg's team have been working to prevent tumours from growing larger than microscopic size and the new funding from the Council will enable clinical trials to begin early next year.

"We have been overwhelmed by the public interest in this research, but unfortunately we can't help people yet," said Professor Hogg. "Human safety trials of the drug we have made will start early next year. If the drug is safe then further trials to test whether it works are planned for late next year in Australia and probably North America."

Professor Hogg and his team in the Centre for Vascular Research, have developed a compound called GSAO that has been shown to stop the growth of microscopic tumours in pre-clinical testing, by inhibiting tumour blood vessel formation. In principle, GSAO should be effective against all solid tumours, such as those of the breast, prostate, colon, lung and brain.

"Our research focuses on trying to turn cancer into a disease that can be managed on a life-long basis, rather than trying to find a cure. Even if the first round of clinical trials are successful, it could still take several years before the drug is available in the clinic," he said.

Professor Hogg's team has received $209,000 in new funding from the Council. This follows a five-year grant of over a million dollars from the Council awarded in 2000.

Other UNSW researchers to receive grants from the Council in this round are Professor Levon Khachigian, Dr Karen Mackenzie, Associate Professor Glenn Marshall and Professor Rob Sutherland.

The Council has committed over $7.4 million dollars in funding to UNSW researchers from 2000 to 2007.

For further information about the funding projects go to the Cancer Council NSW website
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For more information about Professor Hogg and his work, visit his research profile.