National Survey of Research Commercialisation - Australian ...

XENOME
The same chemical compounds that enable some animals to stun and capture prey may
provide human medicine with a new source of pain-killing drugs.
Researchers at Xenome Ltd have completed successful animal trials of a new pain-killing
compound derived from the venom of cone shells, common to many reef environments.
The animals, members of the Conidae family of molluscs, prey on other marine
organisms, immobilising them with unique venoms.
In January 2000, the promising results of seven years’ research conducted at the
University of Queensland led to the formation of Xenome Ltd to begin commercialising
new pain-killers and sedatives for humans.
The research has concentrated on the components of the venom conotoxins that act by
preventing neuronal communication.
The cone shell research was initiated by the Venoms Research Group at the University of
Queensland in 1993, lead by Dr Richard Lewis and Professor Paul Alewood. The team
found that while the venom as a whole was potentially fatal, individual molecules within
the venom had unique and potentially beneficial effects.
It was found that these molecules were able to bind with receptors in the nervous system
in a similar manner to drugs like morphine, but without the same side-effects such as
nausea and addiction. This became the basis for further investigating the potential use of
these natural compounds as new therapeutics.
Initial funding was supplied by the ARC and NHMRC to the Venoms Research Group
and subsequently via an R&D Start Grant to Xenome Ltd of $1.75 million.
The ongoing commercialisation of the science at Xenome has also been supported by
Medical Holdings Limited, a pooled development fund which has invested $3 million in
the venture, plus $3.5 million from another specialist investment fund, BioTech Capital.
The compound that has been developed has been tipped to be the leader in a new class of
pain-killing drugs for the treatment of chronic pain conditions.
Xenome’s Operations Manager, Joanne Schrauwen, also said that while cone shells had
been the initial focus of the research, work was now progressing to investigating the
venom of other animals such as spiders.