Wellington.– New Zealand scientists said Wednesday they had received approval to use humans in the first phase of clinical trials for a new anti-cancer drug. 

Ten patients in New Zealand and 20 overseas will take part in the first-stage trial for drug development company Proacta Therapeutics – a subsidiary of US company Proacta – using technology that aims to target tumors without damaging other tissue. 

Cancer specialist Michael Jameson said in a statement there were risks involved in trialing a new anti-cancer compound and only about one in every 20 or 25 people could expect good tumor shrinkage. 

The drug stems from 23 years of work by two New Zealand scientists, Bill Denny and Bill Wilson, aimed at killing cancer cells while leaving healthy cells intact.  

Their work has created the concept of "prodrugs" – compounds which are inactive until they undergo a metabolic conversion in the body.