Proacta
Founded Year
2004Stage
Convertible Note | AliveTotal Raised
$49.08MLast Raised
$500K | 12 yrs agoAbout Proacta
Proacta is a clinical-stage, biopharmaceutical company focused on addressing unmet needs in the field of cancer with current efforts directed towards the development of hypoxia-activated prodrugs that target treatment-resistant cancer cells.
Latest Proacta News
Jun 27, 2013
Anticancer company Proacta raises a further US$35m and extends 08 / 02 / 2007 Proacta Inc, an oncology drug discovery and development company, announced today that it has raised a further US$35m in a Series B round of funding. This new funding will be used to take New Zealand-discovered anticancer compound PR-104 through the next phase of clinical development and support the discovery and development of new compounds. Another New Zealand clinical testing site, The University of Auckland, will soon begin treating patients with PR-104. The first human clinical trial for PR-104 was started at Waikato Hospital in early 2006 and their clinicians, along with those in Australia and the US, have continued to play a significant role in the early clinical testing of the drug. Direct interaction between scientists and clinicians, on the joint development of a drug candidate coming from the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre (ACSRC), is the overall aim of the ACSRC, and of its staff members and Proacta founding scientists Professors Bill Denny and Bill Wilson. "Our motivation in founding Proacta was to provide a vehicle that would maximize ACSRC and more broadly New Zealand's participation in all aspects of the drug discovery and development process, and thus help build infrastructure locally. The new US funding is helping to make that a reality. "While New Zealand investors maintain a sizeable holding in Proacta we couldn't do what we are doing without US venture capital, and that's maximising the local opportunities both scientifically and clinically. It means we can submit an IND (Investigational New Drug) application to the Food and Drug Administration for clinical development of a second compound," Dr Wilson said. PR-104 was developed and progressed to clinical trial in New Zealand. It is a unique anticancer drug that is converted to a DNA damaging agent in the hypoxic (oxygen deficient) regions in tumours. The trials are an important step in seeking to exploit abnormality in the blood supply of tumours as a basis for treatment. Relapse of treated cancer is probably often due to the ability of cancer cells in hypoxic regions to survive existing treatments. Research Clinicians at the University of Auckland have worked closely with the ACSRC and Proacta assisting with the strategic direction of the clinical development program for PR-104. Professor Michael Findlay notes that the hypoxia target is particularly exciting as emerging clinical evidence suggests that a large proportion of the 10 million people who are diagnosed with cancer each year have areas of significant hypoxia in their tumours. He and the new study's local lead investigator Associate Professor Mark McKeage, are delighted to open the new trial. "Pending final steps in our internal approval process we anticipate sign-off for the third PR-104 study in the next month or so. This is a wonderful example of how donations from the New Zealand public, invested via the Cancer Society of New Zealand, can convert into new clinical trial options for New Zealanders with cancer. Dr Michael Jameson, the medical oncology specialist at Waikato Hospital who began the trials in New Zealand, said he was pleased to offer quite a number of patients the opportunity to go through the first PR-104 trial in the last year. "The drug appears to be better tolerated than many chemotherapy drugs. We opened a second trial here with PR-104 last month using a new schedule, and plan to open a third trial in March combining PR-104 with chemotherapy. "We are finding out how much of the drug we can safely give, what side-effects there are, how the body handles the drug, and if there is any evidence of its activity against cancers. It is very much a work in progress and we have been encouraged to date but we have a long way to go", Dr Jameson said. Proacta s Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice-President of Clinical Affairs, John Gutheil is based in San Diego and he's very impressed with the quality of clinical research in New Zealand. "It would be fair to say that working in New Zealand is new for most US co
Proacta Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When was Proacta founded?
Proacta was founded in 2004.
Where is Proacta's headquarters?
Proacta's headquarters is located at 4275 Executive Square, La Jolla.
What is Proacta's latest funding round?
Proacta's latest funding round is Convertible Note.
How much did Proacta raise?
Proacta raised a total of $49.08M.
Who are the investors of Proacta?
Investors of Proacta include Alta Partners, GBS Venture Partners, Clarus, Endeavour Capital, No 8 Ventures and 8 more.
Who are Proacta's competitors?
Competitors of Proacta include PNP Therapeutics, Ganymed Pharmaceuticals, Nutrinia, LIDDS, Algeta and 11 more.
Compare Proacta to Competitors
Agenta's technologies capitalize on variations of the important biomolecules called proteoglycans, a class of molecules that can promote healing through a variety of known mechanisms. As therapeutics, they can be applied to bone and skin, or serve as coatings for various devices. It is Agenta's mission to be the world provider in manipulating proteoglycans for therapeutic use.
Prostate Cancer - Pro-Cure Therapeutics - Enabling the development of a cure for prostate cancer based on stem cells
CellSignals applies its technology in chiral synthesis to develop lipid mediators pertinent to intracellular signal transduction and cancer biology. Currently CellSignals' product line has grown to more than 40 chemicals covering a variety of inositol polyphosphates and phosphatidylinositol polyphosphates. CellSignals is actively developing small-molecules, orally bio-available therapeutics for the treatments of breast, skin cancers, and leukemia.
Onyvax is developing new cancer therapies that harness the selective power of the immune system to seek out and destroy tumor cells. Onyvax's products specifically target cancer cells, increasing the likelihood that they will be effective while minimising side effects associated with many conventional treatments. These therapies can broadly be classed as therapeutic cancer vaccines. Onyvax's lead product is in clinical trials for the treatment of prostate cancer and is poised to enter the final stages of development. Onyvax is committed to the commercialisation of therapies that enhance survival while maintaining a high quality of life for patients. The Company is based in London and has collaborations with leading hospitals and other institutions throughout Europe and the US.
Synvascular is a life science device company in Palo Alto
Rimon Therapeutics, through the application of its polymer chemistry platform, is developing therapeutics to address unmet needs in important disease indicators with large markets. Rimon's therapeutic polymers - trademarked Theramers - are in that they deliver therapeutic effect without incorporating or releasing drugs. Theramers are intended to be used as solids-scaffolds, microbeeds and coatings - acting locally, without systemic consequences.