GENE therapy company Oxford Biomedica is continuing its search for a drug firm to help develop its possible cancer treatment TroVax.

Its half-year results show a cash balance of £13.7m, compared to £16.3m in June, and the company needs to increase revenue or make a commercial breakthrough in the next few years.

It is pinning its hopes on ProSavin, a genetic therapy for Parkinson's disease, with the ninth patient having been treated in the third cohort.

It hopes to recruit more patients for a second clinical trial site in Cambridge from December, if UK drug regulators agree.

Oxford Biomedica, based at Oxford Science Park, had applied for ProSavin to be tested in a shorter process, known as 'orphan drug designation', used for treatments for small numbers of patients for whom no other treatment is suitable.

But European regulators decided that ProSavin could benefit a broad range of patients, not just those with advanced Parkinson's, and ruled out orphan drug designation.

Biomedica also has four treatments for eye disease being tested in a partnership with drug company Sanofi-aventis.

Chief executive John Dawson said: “We believe that there is considerable value to be extracted from our three major programmes and all efforts are focused on securing commercial success.

"With six pipeline products on track to be in active clinical development by the end of 2011, we remain committed to managing our financial resources and seeking strong collaborations in order to maximise the return across our development pipeline.”