Roche Developing a "Hedgehog Inhibitor" for Cancer

Roche has a "hedgehog inhibitor" in Phase 2 of development, according to an investor presentation that accompanied its Q3 2009 results.

Don't panic. This is not a substance intended to kill the spiny-but-adorable endangered species native to the hedgerows of Europe. Rather, it's a new therapy for basal cell carcinoma in colorectal and ovarian cancer. The drug is set for a 2011 submission at the earliest.

Hedgehog inhibitors are so-called because:

Loss of the secreted Hedgehog signaling protein was found to cause Drosophila embryos to develop as spiny balls reminiscent of hedgehogs.

Two key receptors that appear to be involved in the Hedgehog pathway in normal adult cells are Smoothened, which initiates a signaling cascade, and Patched, which inhibits this signaling mechanism potentially by preventing Smoothened from reaching the cell surface, and thus may function as a tumour suppressor.