Purdue Startup Awarded Additional Cancer Research Grant

Prof. Herman Sintim is a co-founder and chief scientific officer of KinaRx.(photo provided by Purdue)

In just two weeks’ time, a Purdue-affiliated startup has been awarded a second grant from the National Cancer Institute for research on several forms of cancer. Combined the two grants total approximately $2.5 million.

Maryland-based KinaRx was awarded this week a $400,000 SBIR Phase 1 grant for its work to create more effective drugs to treat lung and thyroid cancers.

Earlier this month, the company received a $2 million Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Cancer Institute to conduct trials on a treatment for an especially aggressive form of blood cancer, Acute myeloid leukemia.

KinaRx was founded by Herman Sintim, the Drug Discovery Professor of Chemistry in Purdue’s Department of Chemistry.

The biotechnology startup focuses on development of novel kinase inhibitors for treatment of cancer with an emphasis on treatment of drug resistant tumors.

The most recent grant will allow Sintim’s team to target gene mutations that help cancers grow and expand within the body.

 “Genetic and molecular characterization of cancer-driving kinase mutations has revolutionized the treatment of many types of cancer,” said Sintim.

KinaRx has licensed drug compounds through the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization, located in the Discovery Park District.