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MENLO PARK, Calif. -- October 3, 2006 -- SRI International, an independent nonprofit
research and development organization, today announced it has signed an agreement with
Taiwan Liposome Company (TLC), a biopharmaceutical company, to begin preclinical safety
and toxicology studies of a new cancer drug developed by TLC. The studies will be conducted
in support of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA).
TLC specializes in the treatment of cancer, ophthalmic conditions and infectious diseases. The
agreement with SRI involves the preclinical testing of TLC-1988, a proprietary cancer drug
being developed for both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. TLC-1988 is a second-generation
camptothecin analog with an efficacy and safety profile that is better than previous drugs in this
class. Camptothecin is a quinoline-based alkaloid found in the bark of Chinese camptotheca
trees.
Preclinical safety studies are necessary to generate sufficient data for IND submission leading to
future clinical trials. Under the terms of the agreement, SRI will design and conduct safety and
toxicology studies to help determine an appropriate treatment regimen (dose, route and
frequency of drug administration) for clinical trials.
Following these studies, an interdisciplinary SRI team will manage the filing of the IND.
Founded in 1997 in Taipei, Taiwan, TLC (www.tlcbio.com) is a biopharmaceutical company
engaging in research, development and commercialization of proprietary drug delivery system for
improving the treatment of cancer, ophthalmic conditions, and infectious diseases. TLC has a team
of researchers, management, production experts, and advisors who are building TLC into an
organization recognized for its excellence in targeted delivery and rapid advancement of products
through the drug development process in Taipei and South San Francisco, California. TLC was
recently chosen among the top 100 hottest startup companies in Asia by Red Herring.
About SRI's Biosciences Division
The SRI Biosciences Division is a unique organization of approximately 200 people, with all of the
resources necessary to take chemical and biological research programs from "idea to IND"™ from
initial discoveries to investigational new drug applications to start human clinical trials. The
Biosciences Division performs basic research on disease mechanisms like an academic institution;
drug discovery and the development of biologics like a biotechnology or pharmaceutical company;
and full-service preclinical contract research and development like a CRO (contract research
organization).
To date, SRI has developed nine drugs internally that have entered clinical trials, with several more
currently undergoing preclinical evaluation. Marketed examples of these drugs include bexarotene
and halofantrine. Additionally, working with government and industry partners, SRI has helped
advance more than 100 drugs into clinical trials, and more than 30 drugs onto the market. Through
collaborations with other divisions at SRI, Biosciences is also working at the interfaces of science
to create technical platforms for the next generation of drug discovery and development in areas
such as drug delivery, diagnostics, medical devices, and systems biology.
About SRI International
Silicon Valley-based SRI International (www.sri.com) is one of the world’s leading independent
research and technology development organizations. Founded as Stanford Research Institute in
1946, SRI has been meeting the strategic needs of clients for 60 years. The nonprofit research
institute performs client-sponsored research and development for government agencies, commercial
businesses, and private foundations. In addition to conducting contract R&D, SRI licenses its
technologies, forms strategic partnerships, and creates spin-off companies.
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