Date：June 22, 2020
Source: Science and Technology Daily
Author: Ye Qing
 

（Picture provided by VCG）
JNU and Guangzhou Lixin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd formally signed a contract for the transfer of a class-one new drug project in an industry-academic-research collaboration about the Double First Class Discipline,” designating a higher education project in China for the construction of “The World First Class Universities and First Class Academic Disciplines.” Lixin paid 100 million yuan for exclusive rights to develop the global market of a new antineoplastic multi-kinase inhibitor，JND32066, developed by Prof. Ding Ke, dean of JNU's College of Pharmacy and director of the Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Biology.
The cooperation is now focusing mainly on the research and development of new anti-cancer drugs and the construction of technical platforms. Both sides will further promote the development and listing of the innovative drugs to benefit cancer patients worldwide. Having jointly built a laboratory with JNU, Lixin Pharmaceuticals will invest 10 million yuan to build a new R&D technology platform for tumor immunity.
At present, anti-tumor drugs cannot cure diseases, said Ding, who has concentrated on research in this field. “Their effect is to prolong the life span of patients and reduce clinical pain.” At this stage, his dream is to largely alleviate cancers that seriously threaten life and health with drugs in a way similar to treating hypertension and diabetes. He also said he hoped a real drug production chain for cancer treatment based on this platform could be built in three to five years.
Under the cooperation agreement, Lixin acquired the exclusive world R&D entitlement to the multi-kinase inhibitor JND32066. “100 million is a landmark price,” Likin’s R&D director, Liu Engui, told Technology Daily. “It covers the expenses of early-stage R&D and the purchase of the entitlement. More will be added for development and production.”
From his own experience, Ding said two aspects should be considered in realizing research results. “Researchers should consider whether a research result is in demand,” he said. “My suggestion is to find research topics from clinical needs and bottlenecks in company development. For another, companies could use the college talent pool to promote drug R&D when facing high investment and high requirements on techniques and talents.” He firmly believes that the pharmaceutical industry can make progress only if scientists and entrepreneurs reach a consensus to solve certain problems.
Since beginning to work on transforming the research into a new drug in 2012, Ding has felt that related policies and measures were being improved on the national government, local government and college levels.
Having perfected the transformation mechanism, Ding is confident about this cooperation of result transformation. “We will further promote drug R&D in hope of launching new medicine in six to eight years for patients with tumors,” he said.