Discovering new chemotherapy agents is one of the most difficult tasks in medicinal chemistry, and, given the deepening recession, resources are threatening to hit all-time lows. Of the thousands of active compounds synthesized, very few have progressed beyond early clinical development. Many more might have progressed to provide human benefit, but for the lack of an appropriate preclinical testing platform capable of predicting clinical results and therefore identifying the compounds' optimal applications before clinical trials are begun. These molecules, with their unlocked potential, languish unrecognized on shelves, in freezers, and in compound libraries.

According to Dr. Douglas D. Burkett, Principal Executive Officer of Baltimore, MD-based Champions Biotechnology, Inc. (CSBR.OB), however, "These dormant compounds might actually be of great value, and should not necessarily be abandoned." Champions has developed a novel preclinical platform derived from their propriety Biomerk Tumorgraft™ models that have been shown to be predictive of how drugs perform in clinical settings and are useful in determining the compounds' optimal applications and appropriately designing Phase I/II clinical trials…