CDW Holding sends research for possible anti-cancer drugs for peer review

Sharanya Pillai

Published Tue, Dec 1, 2020 · 10:11 AM

PRECISION-components specialist CDW Holding has submitted, for peer review, the findings from a joint antibody research project with potential applications in anti-cancer drugs.

In a Tuesday bourse filing after the market close, the Hong Kong-based firm said that anti-Cripto-1, a monoclonal antibody that it developed jointly with Japan's Okayama University, has shown promise for use in a wide range of anti-cancer drugs.

The company's unit GSP Enterprise, which it acquired in 2018, had been working with Okayama University over the past 20 years on building a synthetic antibody library. Tests involving anti-Cripto-1 on mice showed the suppression of tumour growth. The researchers have also submitted the trial findings to four leading journals for peer review and publication.

A year ago, CDW and its associated firm, A Biotech Co, filed a patent in Japan for the use of Cripto-1 to suppress the progression of cancer stem cells. The patent was awarded on Sept 9. The intellectual property related to the patent will be jointly owned by CDW and A Biotech.

Further clinical trials will have to be conducted to determine the antibody's efficacy in human patients, CDW said in its filing. A Biotech will commence pre-clinical toxicology tests next year, in preparation for eventual use in clinical trials.

Depending on the results of the pre-clinical trials, CDW expects to license the intellectual property rights to pharmaceutical industry players for clinical trial in 2022. It may then manufacture and distribute the drugs developed from the anti-Cripto-1 antibody.