A potential new cancer therapy developed at QIMR Berghofer has been acquired by Kazia Therapeutics, an oncology-focused drug development company advancing therapies that aim to reprogram cancer biology and overcome treatment resistance.
The drug candidate is an optimised bicyclic peptide designed to block SETDB1, a protein that helps tumours hide from the immune system. The treatment aims to restore visibility of tumours so immunotherapy can target them more effectively.
It is the third discovery by Professor Sudha Rao, Senior Group Leader of QIMR Berghofer’s Gene Regulation and Translational Medicine Lab, to be acquired by Kazia Therapeutics in the past two years.
The company is also advancing paxalisib, as part of a new combination therapy for metastatic breast cancer, and a therapy, known as NDL2, which breaks down a protein that cancer cells use to evade immunotherapy treatments.
Kazia Therapeutics CEO Dr John Friend said the acquisition would advance the company’s strategy to target and influence how cancer behaves.
“With SETDB1, we are now addressing immune resistance at the chromatin level—the earliest layer of control—alongside transcriptional reprogramming with paxalisib and targeted protein degradation with our PD-L1 platform. Together, these programs position Kazia at the forefront of a new generation of oncology approaches focused on reprogramming cancer, rather than simply inhibiting it.”
Professor Grant Ramm
“We’re proud to see this work move toward translation, where it may ultimately open new therapeutic possibilities for patients who currently have limited treatment options.”
Professor Rao said the platform represented an exciting step forward in translating cutting‑edge epigenetic science into meaningful therapeutic opportunities for patients.
“Targeting SETDB1 opens a new frontier in overcoming immune resistance, and we’re pleased to see this work progress toward clinical development,” she said.
QIMR Berghofer Interim Director and CEO Professor Grant Ramm welcomed the latest commercial venture with Kazia Therapeutics.
“This reflects the strength of the underlying science and has the potential to reshape how we address immune resistance in cancer,” he said.
“We’re proud to see this work move toward translation, where it may ultimately open new therapeutic possibilities for patients who currently have limited treatment options.”
For interviews with Professor Sudha Rao or Dr John Friend please email media@qimrb.edu.au
Professor Ramm, Dr Robert McLachlan, Professor Rao, Dr John Friend