Brisbane-based Queensland Emory Drug Discovery Initiative team awarded funding to advance novel therapy for treatment-resistant prostate cancer.
TUCSON, Ariz., May 13, 2025 – Critical Path Institute’s® (C-Path) Translational Therapeutics Accelerator (TRxA) proudly announced today an $815,000 ($1,250,000 AUD) grant to Brian Dymock, Ph.D., head of drug discovery research at UniQuest’s Queensland Emory Drug Discovery Initiative (QEDDI) in Brisbane, Australia, and his colleagues, Drug Discovery Team Leader Kim Beaumont, Ph.D. and Medicinal Chemistry Team Leader Rebecca Pouwer, Ph.D. This funding will support their work to develop a first-in-class small molecule drug (QED-203) designed for individuals with advanced prostate cancer that have developed resistance to standard-of-care therapies. The drug is based on research by Professor Greg Monteith from The University of Queensland’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, an expert on the role of calcium signaling in cancer.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States, with over 1.4 million cases diagnosed worldwide annually. Approximately 20% of these cases (280,000 per year) progress to advanced disease, known as metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Despite treatment advances, those affected by mCRPC face overall survival rates of approximately 30%, meaning treatment resistance and the emergence of refractory cancer represent major unmet medical needs for those living with mCRPC.
QED-203 represents a novel therapeutic approach to address resistance mechanisms, leveraging dual inhibition of transient receptor potential vanilloid 6 (TRPV6) and the androgen receptor (AR). Through this unique mode of action, QED-203 aims to extend survival and improve quality of life for those with mCRPC who have exhausted current treatment options.
“We are excited to support this groundbreaking research that has the potential to significantly impact the treatment landscape for advanced prostate cancer,” said C-Path’s TRxA Executive Director Maaike Everts, Ph.D. “This grant reflects our commitment to advancing innovative therapies that address urgent unmet medical needs.”
The funding will facilitate critical preclinical studies, process optimization and drug substance manufacturing, paving the way for the potential advancement of QED-203 into clinical trials. The project underscores C-Path’s mission to catalyze drug development by supporting translational science initiatives that bring promising treatments closer to patients.
“We are grateful for the support from C-Path as we advance our novel prostate cancer therapy, QED-203, toward clinical development,” said Dr. Dymock. “This funding will enable us to conduct key IND-enabling studies, bringing QED-203 significantly closer to becoming a novel therapeutic option for patients with limited treatment alternatives.”
For more information on C-Path, TRxA and its initiatives, please visit c-path.org/trxa.
About Critical Path Institute
Founded in 2005, as a public-private partnership in response to the FDA’s Critical Path Initiative, Critical Path Institute® (C-Path) celebrates its 20th anniversary as a vital, independent, nonprofit. C-Path’s mission is to lead collaborations that advance better treatments for people worldwide. Globally recognized as a pioneer in accelerating drug development, C-Path has established numerous international consortia, programs and initiatives that currently include more than 1,600 scientists and representatives from government and regulatory agencies, academia, patient organizations, disease foundations and pharmaceutical and biotech companies. With dedicated team members located throughout the world, C-Path’s global headquarters is located in Tucson, Arizona and C-Path’s Europe subsidiary is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. For more information, visit c-path.org.
About TRxA
Critical Path Institute’s Translational Therapeutics Accelerator (TRxA) is a global drug accelerator focused on supporting academic scientists in advancing novel therapeutics from university-based labs to drug development pipelines of pharmaceutical companies and, ultimately, the clinic. As a nonprofit neutral convener of patient groups, academia, pharmaceutical companies and regulatory agencies, C-Path brings a breadth of scientific and drug development planning not available in other accelerator programs. TRxA is uniquely situated to leverage the expertise available through C-Path’s >20 disease-based consortia, as well as regulatory expertise and project management, to empower academic investigators to succeed in bringing safe and effective treatments to patients. For more information, visit c-path.org/trxa or email trxa@c-path.org.
About UniQuest
UniQuest is the commercialisation company of The University of Queensland (UQ). In partnership with UQ researchers, we create impact through the commercialisation of UQ intellectual property. Established in 1984, UniQuest’s commercialisation track record positions UQ as the leader of research commercialisation in Australasia. For more information, visit uniquest.com.au.
About QEDDI
UniQuest’s Queensland Emory Drug Discovery Initiative (QEDDI) is a dedicated small molecule drug discovery and development facility focused on developing new medicines to treat some of the world’s most challenging diseases, including cancer, inflammatory disease, and neurodegenerative disorders. QEDDI has integrated core capabilities in target validation and indication selection, medicinal chemistry, computational drug design, drug discovery biology including assay development, compound screening, pharmacology, and project management. QEDDI brings together a team of experts drawn from industry, along with innovative biology from its academic and industry partners, to accelerate new drug development. For more information, visit qeddi.com.au.
Media Contacts:
Roxan Triolo Olivas
C-Path
520.954.1634
rolivas@c-path.org
Kissy Black
C-Path
615.310.1894
kblack@c-path.org
