Radiopharm Theranostics has agreed to commercial terms to commence its first phase 1 lung cancer trial in Australia with renowned global oncology provider GenesisCare.
The program aims to start testing Radiopharm’s proprietary nanobodies, part of its Nano-mAbs platform, by targeting non-small cell lung cancer, the most common type of the disease.
The Nano-mAbs drug targeting non-small cell lung cancer is specifically geared towards the PDL/1-positive expression.
Radiopharm believes the treatment has the potential to be ‘first-in-class’ within radiopharmaceutical therapies improving on everything else currently on the market.
The initial project duration is earmarked to be finished after 18 months with existing funding covering total costs of the services agreed upon in the letter of intent.
Under the terms of the agreement, lung cancer patients at Australian clinical research centres secured by Genesiscare will receive Radiopharm’s immunotherapy treatment.
Radiopharm believes the trial will be the first time humans are being used in a clinical trial with its compound and if successful, will set the stage for expanded development in lung cancer patients whose cancer responds positively to the immunotherapy.
Radiopharm’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Riccardo Canevari said: “This is currently an area of high unmet need, and we are hopeful of bringing a first in class treatment to the market that will greatly improve patient outcomes. The phase 1 trial is an important milestone on the path to making this a reality,”
The agreement with Genesiscare is a major boost for the developer given its status as the leading provider of integrated oncology care globally, with more than 440 locations in UK, USA, Australia and Spain. The company is working on delivering novel therapies to market in addition to providing precision medicine to cancer patients globally.
Professor Nat Lenzo, GenesisCare Nuclear Medicine Physician and Group Clinical Director of Theranostics said: “To date, radiopharmaceutical treatments have predominantly been utilised in the treatment of prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumours, so it is exciting to be expanding the nuclear medicine treatment paradigm to new therapeutic areas.”
Whilst the agreement is non-binding, the gears have started turning with work already commencing and a further corresponding services agreement being currently negotiated between the two parties.
The development of cancer beating treatments can clearly be a transformative one for any company and by securing such an important supply agreement, Radiopharm’s research has the capacity to remain at the tip of the life-saving spear.
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By Matt Birney
