Research at the Centre for Vascular Research has generated intellectual property that has been protected by filing of patent applications. Patent applications are made predominantly through the commercial arm of UNSW, Unisearch Pty Ltd. The protection of CVR research outcomes has resulted in a number of collaborative research partnerships and alliances with industrial organisations with a view to licensing our intellectual property.

A summary of selected CVR commercial partnerships is given below. Further details can be found within the Research Groups pages.

Beng Chong is involved in several international clinical studies which aim to improve the treatment of venous thromboembolism. Commercial partners for these studies include Aventis Pharma, Organon Australia and Sanofi Synthelabo.

Chris Parish and his group have designed sulfated oligosaccharide-based compounds as drug candidates, this research being supported by Progen Industries. A sulfated oligosaccharide-based inhibitor of the heparanase enzyme has been synthesised and found to be a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis and heparanase activity. Preclinical testing has shown that this inhibitor, termed PI-88, inhibits primary tumour growth and metastasis of several cancer types.

Levon Khachigian has a strong record of translational research that has involved commercial funding of in-laboratory R&D by numerous local international pharmaceutical/biotech companies. This is built on a suite of patents. He is currently developing "molecular assassin" anti-gene technology which has therapeutic implications to common problems such as eye disease, arthritis, myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, restenosis, and cancer. NewSouth Innovations (the commercialisation arm of UNSW), is currently in negotiations with commercial organisations on the development of novel gene-therapeutic and "anti-gene"-therapeutic applications in vascular diseases and cancer.

Roland Stocker's team has designed novel compounds that inhibit restenosis. Roland's group also has a lead compound for the non-invasive diagnostic of atherosclerosis. Roland has a long-standing record of commercial funding with major international pharmaceutical companies. At present, his team has several commercial contracts with Chugai Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd, with whom it is involved in a Phase-II clinical trial related to a novel anti-restenotic drug.