History of Abiraterone

1990 British Technology Group (BTG) fund a project in the UK at the Institute of Cancer Research in London working on selective inhibitors of the enzyme CYP17 as potential agents for the treatment of prostate cancer.

September 1990 Prof Mike Jarman receives funding from BTG to intitiate project.

October 1990 Abiraterone designed by Dr Gerry Potter as a selective CYP17 inhibitor.

November 1990 Abiraterone first synthesised by Dr Potter in the CRC drug development labs at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) within the Royal Marsden Hospital in Surrey, UK.

December 1990 Dr Elaine Barrie tests Abiraterone and finds it is the most potent inhibitor of CYP17 ever discovered.

January 1991 UK & US Patents filed with BTG.

February 1991 Abiraterone synthesis scaled up to killogram scale.

June 1991 Results on Abiraterone first presented in San Diego.

1994 First publication on Abiraterone (CB 7598) appears in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

1996 Abiraterone Acetate (CB7630) licensed to Boehringer Ingelheim

1997 Phase I clinical studies start on single agent Abiraterone Acetate

1998 Worldwide Patents Granted

2000 Licensed to Cougar Biotechnology

2003 Phase I/II clinical trials intiatated

2004 Prednisone added to Abiraterone to prevent Hypokalemia (Low Potassium) side effects.
         i.e the Zytiga Prednisone Combo first used.

2005 Phase III clinical trials start on post chemo prostate cancer patients in 1,200 worldwide study.

2007 Cougar Biotechnology taken over be Johnson & Johnson (J&J).

2009 J&J use brand name of "Zytiga" for Abiraterone Acetate.

2010 J&J announce positive results of Zytiga in Phase III clinical trials against advanced prostate cancer.

April 2011 FDA Approval of Zytiga post chemotherapy.

May 2011 Zytiga launched in USA

Sept 2011 European Medicine Agency approval.

Oct 2011 Zytiga launched in UK

2012 NICE Approval for use of Zytiga on the UK national health service NHS in England and Wales.