Vol. 38, No. 18

2-19-2008
By: Jeff McCallister

Cancer agents invented at OSU licensed to drug developer

Clinical trials could begin here in 2009 after getting approved for fast-track status by the National Cancer Institute

EDITOR'S NOTE: The print version of this story contained incorrect information about the clinical trials for these two cancer drugs. The following more accurately portrays the current status.

Officials from Arno Pharmaceuticals agreed to a license deal with Ohio State that lets them develop and market two promising new cancer drugs that were invented here.

And when they came to Ohio State Feb. 21 to about the next steps in the process, they got a vivid picture of what else the university has to offer.

“One of the things that attracted them to this arrangement is not just that the compounds are exciting and promising, but that there’s the potential to build an even bigger relationship,” said Jane New, associate director
of Technology Licensing and Commercialization at Ohio State.

“They are not only interested in the discoveries themselves but in the bigger picture of what this university can offer in all stages of those products’ development.”

Both drugs came from the lab of Ching-Shih Chen, an OSU pharmacy professor and researcher at the Comprehensive Cancer Center.

One works by making cancer cells self-destruct; the other keeps them from dividing.

The drugs were promising enough that the National Cancer Institute approved them for its Rapid Access to Intervention Development program. Arno has been in talks to license them since 2005, and the deal was finalized in late January.

Arno’s president and a few other officers came to town Feb. 21 for talks relating to the clinical trials that Arno hopes to conduct beginning in 2009; Ohio State could be a part of the trials as well.

“The out-licensing of these two very important molecularly targeted oncology compounds to Arno Therapeutics is a significant milestone for Ohio State,” said Michael Caligiuri, director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center and CEO of The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute.

“These are the first two molecules for cancer treatment created entirely at OSU that will be brought into the cancer clinic.”

Robert Brueggemeier, dean of the College of Pharmacy, says the collaborative atmosphere at Ohio State puts the university in position to both develop and test compounds. “Dr. Chen’s groundbreaking discovery began in a laboratory in the College of Pharmacy. The research community here is excited to see the project move forward to the next phase.”

Arno Therapeutics is a privately held biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes innovative products for the treatment of cancer patients.

Under terms of the agreement, Arno will pay Ohio State license fees, development-based milestones and royalties based on sales of the licensed products.

“We are extremely pleased to be developing these two exciting and novel molecules for the treatment of cancer patients,” said Scott Fields, president and chief medical officer of Arno. “We look forward to moving these molecules into the clinic and to hopefully bringing their benefits to patients who need them as soon as possible.”


This latest license agreement illustrates Ohio State’s commitment to expand its commercialization of intellectual property developed by faculty, students and staff.

Last year, the university increased research royalty and licensing by 30 percent, bringing in $1.25 million. This included 32 new licensing deals, expanding the university portfolio to 158 active contracts.

“It’s important to see this relationship and how it’s moving forward,” New said. “It shows that Ohio State is committed to seeing developments through, giving what assistance we can and hopefully getting them on the market.”

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