Clinox
1st July 2007
In June 2007 Oxford University spun out a new company called Clinox from the Department of Clinical Pharmacology. Clinox offers pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies knowledge and expertise in the development, placement and conduct of early phase clinical trials with a particular focus in oncology.
These trials determine whether the scientific basis of a new discovery can be validated in the clinic, and critically whether the enormous further investment required for full development and product registration is warranted. These decision points in many instances will require that observations in patients be complemented by the use of highly sophisticated, laboratory based technologies – such as genomics, proteomics and functional imaging – which yield markers of efficacy that relate to the novel mechanisms of action.
Clinox is providing an extraordinary opportunity for both pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology firms to:
• Fast-track their novel anti-cancer, therapeutic and diagnostic strategies; and
• Test their promise in mechanistic clinical trials.
Improving the quality of cancer care throughout the NHS is essential to improve the country’s cancer survival rates. High quality research to better understand the disease processes involved and to find better treatments will make an important contribution to this aim. The NHS, working in partnership with the Medical Research Council and medical research charities, has a central role in the integration of research and care to provide accessible, high quality patient-centred cancer services.
The National Cancer Plan established a clear framework for the assurance and improvement of the quality of cancer care provided to patients in the NHS. One of its most important initiatives was to establish – under strategic oversight of the National Cancer Research Institute – two national cancer research networks funded by the Department of Health, embedded in the NHS and distributed around the country. These research networks, one leading on translational research (NTRAC) and the other providing infrastructure for larger, multicentre clinical trials (NCRN), have collaborated to provide strong scientific support and evidence base for the cancer care and therapeutic development pathways. NTRAC has had its Co-ordinating Centre based in the Department of Clinical Pharmacology under the direction of Professor David Kerr, now a founder of Clinox. Clinox is building on the success that the National Translational Cancer Research Network (NTRAC) Co-ordinating Centre has had in attracting a significant portfolio of new, high quality early phase clinical trials to a network of UK clinical trial Centres from three industrial partners.
In the 2-year period from summer 2003 to 2005, the NTRAC Co-ordinating Centre supported the initiation of 10 early phase clinical trials creating 255 additional patient slots.
By working with its industry clients and the early phase clinical trials Centres, Clinox can provide the following services:
• Improved quality of the clinical trial protocol;
• Established and productive relationships with Centres of scientific and clinical excellence appropriate for current and future trials;
• Efficient and cost-effective trial start up – Clinox aims for time lines of 4 months from receipt of final protocol to drugs delivered to study site.
Clinox are now starting discussions with interested companies from the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and are looking forward to successfully attracting more potential new cancer therapies into the UK.
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