A Perth Biotech company is collaborating with US and Hong Kong researchers to commercialise a botanically derived treatment already shown to have an anti-cancer effect without affecting healthy tissue.
Beta Pharmaceuticals has temed with professor of Pharmacology Dr Paul Sylvester and his four laboratory research team from the University of Louisiana, Monroe in the USA to further research a "chemopreventative treatment using tocotrienol - a phytonutrient extracted from Palm Oil.
Dr Sylvester's studies have shown that TOCOTRIENOL is able to induce cell death in cancer cells and lessen the harm done to healthy cells. Chemotherapy, by comparison, kills cancer cells but may also harm healthy cells.
The type of treatment researched by the Breast Cancer and Health Project is particularly aimed at controlling the disease at an early stage.
Breast cancer remains the most common cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide - and in Australia. More than 1.1 million women are newly diagnosed with breast cancer. In Australia there are 13 to 14,000 women diagnosed each year - up to nearly 15,000 by 2011.
During his visit to Australia in August this year Dr Sylvester said: "The objective of our research is to demonstrate that gamma TOCOTRIENOL inhibits the development, growth and progression of what is called metastatic mammary cancer.
"The ultimate aim of our current study is to further research and then directly develop the therapies for chemoprevention and the treatment of breast cancers. This type of treatment will enable an attack on cancer in its early stages without the usual harm to surrounding healthy cells."
The data from Dr Sylvester's research is expected to be ready by the end of 2008, which is why arrangements are now being concluded to commercialise the resulting products based on TOCOTRIENOL.
Company director Alan Reid says: "The focus of our company Beta Pharmaceuticals is to ensure that the products based on TOCOTRIENOL are botanically derived, non-invasive and suitable for all ages.
"We are very proud to be involved in commercialising world first chemopreventative and chemotheraputic products and take the battle to breast cancer with such an innovative and exciting treatment. The worldwide market for such products is large and demanding and we look forward to reaching that market soon."
