An Australian scientist has developed a drug to treat liver cancer and said the medicine could be available within three years.

Immunologist Professor Christopher Parish, of the Australian National University, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that clinical trials showed the drug significantly inhibited the growth of a cancer and its spread to other organs.

"For any primary tumor to grown beyond about a millimeter in diameter, in needs to induce new blood vessels to grow into it," Parish said. "Our drug inhibits those new blood vessels growing."

Parish said, "We should be very close to having it ready for the treatment of liver cancer within two to three years."

He also said the drug had the potential for use against other forms of cancer.