Enabling scientific breakthrough
Natural drug brings new hope to cancer patients
Cancer is a big killer accounting for seven to eight million deaths worldwide each year. The number of cancer cases and related deaths is on the rise. Lung cancer and liver cancer, in particular, are not diagnosed until the later stages of development. Treatment options are limited and they often come with side effects. There is an obvious need to identify new and better therapeutic agents.
Thanks to the support of veteran jeweller Mr Lo Ka-chung, PolyU has achieved research breakthrough offering hope to cancer patients worldwide.
The PolyU-based Lo Ka Chung Centre for Natural Anti-Cancer Drug Development, set up in 2006 with donation from Mr Lo, is the first in the world to have developed the natural drug (BCT-100) targeting liver and potentially other types of cancer. The research team made an important discovery related to arginine, an essential amino acid for the growth of cancer cells, and found that deprivation of arginine induces cancer cells to death while leaving normal cells unharmed.
The research team collaborated with Bio-Cancer Treatment International Limited (BCT) at the laboratory stage to develop BCT-100 – Hong Kong’s first Investigational New Drug (IND) approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. It is now being manufactured after going through successful clinical trials at hospitals in Hong Kong and the US.
Mr Lo, now in his 90s, has offered continued support for the vital research through the Lo Ka Chung Charitable Foundation founded by him in 2002. The Foundation aims at supporting institutional establishments and development projects in both educational and medical fields.
Knowing well that drug research is a long-term commitment, in 2015, Mr Lo went on to establish an endowed professorship in pharmaceutical sciences by making another generous donation, thus giving a strong boost to the research team at PolyU.
Mr Lo’s son Peter is now in charge of the Foundation. He said,
