A New Approach to One of the Deadliest Cancers

Challenge

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers, with limited treatment options and poor survival rates. Current therapies are largely ineffective, extending life by only a few months in most cases.

This research addresses the urgent need for more effective treatments by investigating how a repurposed anti-fungal drug can alter the pancreatic tumour microenvironment and overcome its resistance to therapy. Pancreatic cancer affects thousands of Australians each year, with patients and their families facing devastating prognoses.

By improving treatment responses and enabling more personalised therapies, this research has the potential to significantly improve outcomes for people living with this aggressive disease.

Study Overview 

This ongoing study focuses on a form of pancreatic cancer where certain signals inside the cancer cells are disrupted. Building on promising early results, the team are:

• Identifying different groups of pancreatic cancer based on these cell signals
• Testing itraconazole-based treatments in laboratory models of pancreatic cancer
• Studying how itraconazole affects the tumour’s surroundings, including immune cells, blood vessels, supporting tissue, and the cell signals involved.

Study Highlights

Now in the second year of a three-year grant, the team has made significant progress:

• Breakthrough protein discovery: Analysis of tumour tissue from 400 patients revealed that high levels of the protein LCN2 are linked to poorer outcomes. Itraconazole reduces LCN2, which may improve immune responses and boost the effectiveness of other treatments.
• Tumour microenvironment changes: The drug appears to normalise blood vessels, reduce scar-like tissue known as fibrosis and allow more immune cells to reach tumours - all encouraging signs for better patient outcomes.
• Promising combination therapies: In advanced lab and mouse models, pairing itraconazole with chemotherapy significantly improved survival. Early results also suggest it could enhance the effects of immunotherapy, which is usually ineffective in pancreatic cancer.
• Pathway to patients: These results have led to preparations for clinical trials in Australia, backed by $4.2 million in new funding from the Kinghorn Foundation.

"The SVCRF Research Grant I received has been pivotal in allowing me to generate the necessary pre-clinical data to translate my novel personalised therapeutic approaches in pancreatic cancer towards clinical testing," says Professor Pajic. "This support has also contributed to our Translational Oncology Program securing $4.2 million to launch three clinical trials for pancreatic cancer in Australia."

Measuring Impact

Hearts & Minds measures its impact across six core categories developed by the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes. Based on the latest update, this study demonstrates excellence in advancing knowledge, with two peer-reviewed publications, five presentations worldwide, and new insights into the role of the protein LCN2 in pancreatic cancer.

It is delivering tangible health impacts through promising pre-clinical results that are progressing towards clinical trials and generating the critical evidence needed to guide treatment strategies for one of the most challenging cancers. By repurposing an existing medicine, the research also has the potential to deliver economic benefits by reducing development time and costs for new therapies.

This study represents a significant step forward in pancreatic cancer research. By combining functional genomics with a repurposed therapy, the team is not only advancing scientific knowledge but also laying the groundwork for treatments that could improve outcomes, inform clinical decisions, and ultimately benefit patients.

‍Funding support from Hearts and Minds Investments, as nominated by Core Fund Manager, Magellan.

This content was last updated in August 2025, for further information and updates, visit St Vincent's Clinic Research Foundation.