We are a small, UK registered Charity based primarily in rural Shropshire. We have a purpose built laboratory where we designed the Anti-Metastatic drug Valoxydin® and where we conduct a wide array of in vitro experiments on human and animal cells. There are four Trustees, each of us committed to the development of a new chemotherapeutic that targets an enzyme that enables the formation of secondary tumours or metastases.
Brightwater has developed a completely new approach to the prevention of metastasis. Our drug, Valoxydin® , is able to reduce the spread of cancer by approximately 80% in animal models. This is hugely significant because most cancer patients do not succumb to their primary tumour – it is more often the metastases in other organs that prove life threatening.
Our mission at Brightwater is to promote the further evaluation of Valoxydin® and to take this new drug through clinical trials and ultimately to those patients across the globe that may benefit from this remarkable drug. We, at Brightwater, do not yet know the full potential of this drug in that the entire range of cancers that can be treated successfully with Valoxydin® has yet to be determined . To date, all our experiments have been conducted with lung cancer [lung adenocarcinoma; non-small lung cancer (the most prevalent lung cancer and the most prevalent cancer per se) but we are very hopeful that Valoxydin® works equally well in other forms of cancer.
All of our research has been funded by the Trustees over fifteen years and at a cost of approaching £1M. Clinical trials will exhaust the resources of the Charity and so we are now looking for partnerships or joint ventures with pharmaceutical companies, cancer charities and all possible collaborations with universities and hospitals.
If you are an individual interested in the work we are doing and would like to support us, one of the ways that you can do it is via the Just Giving link below.
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/brightwater-research
Lung cancer hardly needs an introduction and it remains the biggest cause of cancer related deaths Worldwide. Global incidence rates are increasing, which is attributed to pollution as well as smoking.
‘Lung cancer’ is, in fact, many different kinds of cancer. It includes many of the thoracic cancers and Brightwater has chosen to focus on the most prevalent: lung adenocarcinoma. Specifically, we use two human derived cell lines CaLu-1 and A549 in our experiments.
As part of our research into metastasis, Brightwater has also studied one other kind of cancer: Ewing sarcoma (EWS). EWS typically afflicts adolescents and spreads quickly, therefore to the Charity, EWS is both a potential target and a valuable model in the laboratory.
Much of our data is available to clinicians and pharmaceutical companies. Please contact us.
Valoxydin® is a low molecular weight new chemotherapeutic, that inhibits a particular enzyme. Such oxidoreductase inhibitors are already being discussed in the scientific literature but so far, apart from Valoxydin® , these agents are too toxic for cancer chemotherapeutic use.
By contrast, Valoxydin® has been tested both in vitro and in vivo for toxicity and tolerability with positive results. Likewise, we already know that oral dosing once a day by pill is sufficient and an effective route of administration.
The efficacy can only be measured in terms of metastasis. Valoxydin® does not impact growth of the primary lung tumour. Primary tumours are generally better dealt with through radiation or surgery. It simply reduces the spread of the cancer to other organs. Therefore, our experiments are conducted to measure only the secondary cancers. In vivo work has been done at Contract Research Organisations (CROs) and is highly encouraging and statistically robust. We seem to be able to reduce metastases significantly - even when dosed to the mice after established lung cancer has been established.
Using Valoxydin® to blockade a specific pathway allows us to restrict the signalling that would normally take place between the cancer cell and the surrounding tissue. Restriction of this signalling disrupts the metastatic process very effectively. In a nutshell, tumour cells need to ‘know’ where they are so they can spread effectively. Blocking their sensing of the local environment disrupts their behaviour, rendering them disabled.
It is our aim to raise sufficient capital to conduct more studies to reveal the full utility of Valoxydin® . We urgently need to know if lung cancer is uniquely vulnerable to Valoxydin® or if, as we suspect, many other kinds of cancer are susceptible to this intervention.
We intend to move this new drug into clinical trials and we also know that this is expensive. However, we need:
Regulatory approval
Synthesis of sufficient quantities of drug
Purity checks
Blister packaging etc
Recruitment of clinicians to conduct volunteer studies
Bioinformatics on the obtained data
Appropriate levels of liability insurance
In patient trials are the defining moment in any drug development. At this point, it is envisaged that we will partner with a suitable pharmaceutical company.
David is our chief researcher and the driving force behind Brightwater. Prior to founding the organization, he was the co-founder and Research Director for a number of successful bio-science companies. It is David’s expertise in cancer cell biology and cancer transcriptomics that continues to shape the direction of our ground-breaking research.
Ted is the global Chief Executive Officer of an animal nutrition company, with previous roles in higher education and the voluntary sector. He brings his experience in setting and executing strategy, working in regulated sectors and building successful partnerships for delivery to the Brightwater team.
With a lengthy career as a senior lecturer in university and hospice settings, Sonja continues to have a keen focus on palliative care and in improving the patient experience. Her engagement and familiarity with these topics, both as a nurse and subsequently in higher education, brings a strong understanding of the ‘human’ element of the impact of cancers to the board.
Dave has a diverse background within IT and Service outsourcing, having worked on many of the world’s largest outsourcing contracts as Commercial Director and subsequently as the global head of Innovation and Emerging Technologies for Hewlett Packard.
Address:
PO Box 4876, Shrewsbury, SY1 9PX
Email:
david.crane@brightwater-research.com for non-technical enquiries.
science@brightwater-research.com for data and clinical enquiries, or if you would like to discuss our research in more detail.
Company No. 12440181
Charity No. 1191048