Nobel Prize winner purportedly “amazed” at high level of cancer R&D at Russian biotech firm

James D. Watson, an American molecular biologist, geneticist and zoologist who in 1962 was awarded the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine as the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, on June 20, 2015 visited the laboratories of a Russian innovation company, Biocad. The Nobel Prize laureate “didn’t expect” to see how advanced Biocad’s anti-cancer solutions are, the Biocad website  announced . 

Mr. Watson toured the Biocad labs located in Neudorf in the St. Petersburg special economic zone. This group of laboratories is said to be Russia’s largest R&D complex to date; it required more than $100m to build and equip, Biocad said. 

In Neudorf, Biocad researchers are working on a project called MabNext, aimed at the development of Russia’s pioneering drugs to fight the severe forms of cancer and autoimmune diseases. For this monoclonal antibody based effort, special methodology has been developed which brings together the techniques of a molecule’s computer modeling and de novo gene synthesis. 

The new approach has reportedly made it possible to develop a solution based on a PD-1 protein antigen to fight melanoma, the worst form of skin cancer. 

The famous American biologist said he was sure most of cancers would be 100% curable ten years from now. In Mr. Watson’s opinion, what’s key today is to look for medicine to deal with later-stage cancers. 

The Nobel Prize winner suggested that Russian scientists avoid taking on projects whose investment horizons are beyond three years. For the company he visited, it’s worthwhile developing drugs that could surely be brought to market within five-to-seven years, not later, he believes. 

Biocad is headquartered in Moscow and St. Petersburg and employs a total of about a thousand, including more than 300 scientists. Last year, the firm saw its revenue triple to $200m, with overall international long-term contracts worth more than $500m. Biocad has rep offices in the U.S., Brazil, China, India, Singapore and some other countries.

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