Pfizer invests $6 million in colon cancer research in Ontario

Pfizer invests $6 million in colon cancer research in Ontario

Pfizer Global Research and Development is investing $6 million over three years and working with a team of Ontario-based scientists to develop a large clinical biobank to identify molecular signatures for colorectal cancer. Under a new program entitled POP-CURE, the research brings together key personnel from Pfizer, the Princess Margaret Hospital, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR)and Ontario Cancer Institute (OCI)

Led by Dr Brad Wouters, senior scientist at the OCI and University Health Network and Dr Ben Neel, the principal investigator, POP-CURE will utilize genomic and molecular pathology to accelerate the development of biomarkers for early detection of colorectal cancer — the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Canada.

Researchers hope to develop new tools for prognosis and treatment of colorectal cancer by identifying cancer sub-types and opening up the possibility of developing new therapeutics that target cancer cells selectively without destroying normal cells as occurs using current treatment regimes.

Next Gen jobs funding

The provincial government is providing an additional $900,000 through the Biopharmaceutical Investment Program (part of the Next Generations of Jobs Fund) while researchers at OCI, and OICR will use funding already provided to their respective organizations.

The decision by Pfizer to invest in Ontario represents a coup for the province as Pfizer's Canadian operations are headquartered in Kirkland QC. OICR and OCI are part of a major biomedical research hub in Toronto which is ranked as the fourth largest in North America.

The POP-CURE program fits nicely with Pfizer's primary research thrusts. Twelve out of 21 of its R&D programs in advanced clinical trials are in high-priority disease areas such as diabetes, oncology, inflammation, immunology, Alzheimer's, pain and psychoses. Pfizer spends approximately $7 billion globally on R&D on an annual basis.

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