| 1955 |
The Centre was formed in 1955 when the Society ran a public appeal to raise £54,000 for a Linear Accelerator machine for the Radiotherapy Department at Auckland Hospital. A radio-telephone appeal raised in excess of £136,000 and it was decided to invest the surplus funds into the relatively new area of cancer research. |
| 1956 |
Two cancer research fellowships established. Dr Bruce Cain appointed Senior Research Fellow, and begins cancer research out of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Auckland's Symonds St campus, cataloguing compounds from native flora and developing a screening system to test for new substances that will inhibit tumours |
| 1959 |
First scientific publication "The anti-leukaemic activity of polyporic acid" by Drs B F Cain and J F Burton |
| 1963 |
11 staff work out of a prefabricated building called "The Hut" located at Cornwall Geriatric Hospital |
| 1968 |
Budget for cancer research $28,500 |
| 1969 |
$250,000 appeal launched to establish a new building for cancer research |
| 1972 |
First programme grant from the NZ Medical Research Council (now the Health Research Council) |
| 1973 |
Move to temporary research laboratories at the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research at Mt Albert |
| 1974 |
Budget for cancer research $70,000 |
| 1978 |
Auckland Cancer Society's Research Laboratory move into premises of newly constructed Auckland Medical School |
| 1979 |
Dr Bruce Cain, Director of the Cancer Research Laboratory, awarded an Honorary Professorship by the Auckland University for his work in cancer research |
| 1981 |
Death of Dr Bruce Cain. Dr Bruce Baguley appointed Director of the Auckland Cancer Society Research Laboratory and Dr Bill Denny as Deputy Director. Dr Baguley served as Director from 1981-87 and from 1993-97; Dr Bill Denny served as Director from 1987-1992 and from 1998-present |
| 1982 |
The anti-leukaemia drug, meta-AMSA, clinically tested in US and is marketed worldwide under the name Amsacrine by Parke-Davis, US. It is the first synthetic inhibitor of the enzyme topoisomerase II to do so. The Research Laboratory is the first group in the southern hemisphere to have discovered and developed a drug for clinical use.
19 research staff working in the Research Laboratory |
| 1986 |
Clinical trial of Asularine , a derivative of amsacrine designed to have a broader spectrum of action, in collaboration with Sparta Pharmaceuticals, UK. |
| 1987 |
Budget for cancer research $855,000 |
| 1990 |
36 staff and 8 students working in the Research Laboratory |
| 1995 |
Research Laboratory's anti-cancer drug, DACA , brought to clinical trial in Cambridge UK, and Auckland in collaboration with Xenova UK. DACA is the first dual inhibitor of both topoisomerase I and II to reach trial |
| 1998 |
In an agreement with the University of Auckland, the Research Laboratory becomes a joint Society/University venture, named the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre. A Joint Management Board of both institutions is set up to manage it |
| 1999 |
First clinical trial in Auckland and the UK of DMXAA , a novel anti-vascular drug developed in the Centre. The drug is developed with Antisoma UK, and is currently completing Phase II trials in NZ, Australia and the UK |
| 2000 |
66 staff and 27 students working in the Research Centre |
| 2001 |
Experimental oncology group under the leadership of Assoc.Prof. Bill Wilson joins the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre
First clinical trial of XR-11576 , a potent dual topoisomerase I/II inhibitor, developed in collaboration with Xenova UK
Establishment by Auckland University of the start-up company Proacta Therapeutics, to develop hypoxia-activated prodrugs from research carried out in the Centre. In 2004 Proacta received venture capital funding from NZ, Australia, Switzerland and the US, and its first drug, PR-104 , began clinical trial in NZ in January 2006 |
| 2002 |
The Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre is a founding participant in the Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, one of the Government funded Centres of Research Excellence |
| 2003 |
Professors Bill Denny and Bruce Baguley each appointed an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit for their services to cancer research
First clinical trial of MLN-944 , a very potent gene transcription inhibitor developed in the Centre, by Millennium Pharmaceuticals, US
Establishment of Cancer Trials Centre, to support and encourage investigator initiated early phase and translational oncology trials - seed funding provided by Auckland Cancer Society |
| 2004 |
Total Research Centre budget for cancer research $6,000,000
78 staff and 21 students working in the Research Centre |
| 2005 |
Professors Bill Denny and Bill Wilson from the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre are finalists in Metro magazine's 'Smart Auckland' competition |
| 2006 |
First clinical trial of PR-104 , a novel prodrug designed to be activated selectively in the hypoxic regions of solid tumours, by Proacta Therapeutics Ltd.Trials in Australia and the US are imminent.
DMXAA was being advanced by Antisoma Ltd. UK to an international Phase III trial for patients with lung cancer. Results from Phase II studies showed that patients receiving DMXAA in addition to standard treatment had an extra 5.2 months of survival which was the most significant change ever seen. DMXAA also had positive results in prostate and ovarian cancer in the Phase II trials.
Society celebrates 50 years of cancer research |
Research Objectives
