U of S Licenses Potential Anti-Cancer Compounds to Major Drug Development Firm

Posted August 10, 2005


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -Wednesday, August 10th, 2005
2005-08-02-OTHER

U of S Licenses Potential Anti-Cancer Compounds to Major Drug Development
Firm

The University of Saskatchewan and Mississauga-based drug development
company YM BioSciences Inc. today announced a worldwide licensing agreement
for the commercial development of new molecular compounds with potential to
enhance cancer drug therapies.

Under the agreement negotiated by the U of S Industrial Liaison Office, YM
BioSciences plans to undertake the clinical development of these compounds,
known as propargylamines, for the treatment of human diseases including
cancer.

"It's very exciting for me after all these years of lab work to see that
these compounds may finally be evaluated clinically," said U of S biochemist
Rob Warrington.

"What these new compounds do is modulate or alter the action of conventional
anti-cancer drugs so that they diminish harm done otherwise to normal cells.
These modulators also increase the ability of anti-cancer drugs to kill
tumor cells and have been shown to overcome drug-resistance traits that are
often problematic in cancer therapy. Our hope is that they'll increase
survival rates in cancer patients, but of course we won't know that for
several years."

Noting the Saskatchewan government has funded the neuropsychiatry research
unit since 1954, ILO managing director Doug Gill said, "Saskatchewan
government support has played a critical role in advancing this exciting
area of health research. It's gratifying to see the work of many U of S
researchers over many years reach this important stage of development which,
if all goes well, could lead to commercial development of a Saskatchewan
discovery and tremendous benefits to human health."

YM BioSciences CEO and Chair David Allan said, "This new technology platform
represents an additional opportunity for YM BioSciences to expand its
already significant franchise in cancer through the development of a new
generation of combination drug treatments that enhance the cytotoxic
activities of chemotherapeutic drugs."

The concept of using modulating compounds in cancer therapy was originally
discovered by Warrington more than 30 years ago. Five years ago, Warrington
began a collaboration with the U of S neuropsychiatry research unit which
was working on compounds with potential to help prevent Parkinson's,
Alzheimer's, and other neurological diseases. The result was the discovery
that the neuro-protective compounds developed by the unit's research team
were also powerful modulators in cancer research experiments.

In addition to Warrington, other U of S researchers involved in the
licensing agreement are Peter Yu, Lillian Dyck, and Xin Min Li, all with the
U of S neuropsychiatry research unit. Other inventors of the compounds have
retired or left the university.

YM BioSciences plans to focus its own resources on the cancer applications
and seek partners to advance the neurological applications. The company's
current lead drug is another modulating compound called tesmilifene which is
undergoing a pivotal Phase III trial to confirm its ability to enhance
chemotherapy in women with breast cancer.

The U of S owns patents on the molecular compounds and their various uses,
and will obtain royalties through the licensing agreement.

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For more information, contact:

Doug Gill
ILO Managing Director
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-7335
http://www.usask.ca/research/ilo

James Smith, the Equicom Group Inc.
(416) 815-0700, ext. 229
http://www.ymbiosciences.com/

Kathryn Warden
Director, Research Communications
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-2506
www.usask.ca/research