Hendriks Hans R, Govaerts Anne-Sophie, Fichtner Iduna, Burtles Sally, Westwell Andrew D, Peters Godefridus J
Hendriks Pharmaceutical Consulting, J. Wagenaarstraat 67, Purmerend 1443 LR, The Netherlands.
EORTC, Avenue E. Mounier 83/11, Brussels 1200, Belgium.
Br J Cancer. 2017 Jul 11;117(2):195-202. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2017.167. Epub 2017 Jun 13.
The European NCI compounds programme, a joint initiative of the EORTC Research Branch, Cancer Research Campaign and the US National Cancer Institute, was initiated in 1993. The objective was to help the NCI in reducing the backlog of in vivo testing of potential anticancer compounds, synthesised in Europe that emerged from the NCI in vitro 60-cell screen.
Over a period of more than twenty years the EORTC-Cancer Research Campaign panel reviewed ∼2000 compounds of which 95 were selected for further evaluation. Selected compounds were stepwise developed with clear go/no go decision points using a pharmacologically directed programme.
This approach eliminated quickly compounds with unsuitable pharmacological properties. A few compounds went into Phase I clinical evaluation. The lessons learned and many of the principles outlined in the paper can easily be applied to current and future drug discovery and development programmes.
Changes in the review panel, restrictions regarding numbers and types of compounds tested in the NCI in vitro screen and the appearance of targeted agents led to the discontinuation of the European NCI programme in 2017 and its transformation into an academic platform of excellence for anticancer drug discovery and development within the EORTC-PAMM group. This group remains open for advice and collaboration with interested parties in the field of cancer pharmacology.
欧洲NCI化合物项目是欧洲癌症研究与治疗组织（EORTC）研究分支、癌症研究运动（Cancer Research Campaign）与美国国立癌症研究所（US National Cancer Institute）的联合倡议，于1993年启动。其目标是帮助美国国立癌症研究所减少在欧洲合成的、源自美国国立癌症研究所体外60细胞筛选的潜在抗癌化合物的体内测试积压。
在二十多年的时间里，欧洲癌症研究与治疗组织-癌症研究运动小组审查了约2000种化合物，其中95种被选中进行进一步评估。使用药理学指导的方案，对选定的化合物进行逐步开发，并设有明确的通过/不通过决策点。
这种方法迅速淘汰了药理性质不合适的化合物。少数化合物进入了I期临床评估。本文中吸取的经验教训和概述的许多原则可轻松应用于当前和未来的药物发现与开发计划。
审查小组的变化、美国国立癌症研究所体外筛选中测试的化合物数量和类型的限制以及靶向药物的出现，导致欧洲NCI项目于2017年终止，并转变为欧洲癌症研究与治疗组织-精准抗癌药物与分子医学（EORTC-PAMM）小组内一个卓越的抗癌药物发现与开发学术平台。该小组仍然开放，欢迎癌症药理学领域的相关方咨询和合作。
