LX-132 received approval for clinical trials by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China. A ceremony was held on December 12, 2023, in Park Hyatt Guangzhou, to mark this achievement.
 
LX-132 is a compound that can inhibit the fibroblast growth factor receptor family which plays a role in the abnormal growth of many types of cancer. Its invention is a collaborative project led by Associate Professors Jeff Smaill and Adam Patterson (both Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland medical oncology researchers and Maurice Wilkins Centre investigators based at the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre), as well as Professors Ding Ke and Lu Xiaoyun (Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences).

The successful long-term partnership between the Maurice Wilkins Centre and the Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has extended to include Jinan University (Guangzhou) and the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This collaboration demonstrates the scientific and technological innovation that can be made possible through international cooperation.

“We’ve been collaborating with our Chinese colleagues for over 10 years to get to this stage. It would not have been possible without funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, the Health Research Council of New Zealand and the China-Maurice Wilkins Centre Collaborative Research Program” said Associate Professor Jeff Smaill.

We are proud to be a part of this project and look forward to seeing its next steps towards making a difference in the lives of cancer patients all around the world.