Development of novel radioligand therapies for treatment of solid cancers

Offentlig prosjektsammendrag

Cancer is the second biggest cause of death globally and incidence is rising due to lifestyle changes and increased lifespan. Targeted therapy using radionuclides constitutes an attractive treatment solution and may be part of a strategy to prevent, cure or control the disease. Radioligand Therapy (RLT) uses customized molecules in combination with a radioactive nuclide to deliver radiation to cancer cells, providing treatments that can prolong and improve the quality of life of cancer patients. 212Pb is a novel isotope that we believe can treat cancers more effectively and safely than other isotopes, as it emits more radiation in tumours more quickly. Until recently, it has been challenging to obtain sufficient 212Pb for use in clinical studies. Furthermore, other than for Prostate Cancer and Neuroendocrine Tumours, customized molecules that can target 212Pb to cancers are lacking. ARTBIO has been founded to solve these major challenges. ARTBIO has developed an innovative highly scalable method to extract 212Pb with great purity via its patented technology called AlphaDirectTM. ARTBIO’s lead candidate, AB001 has shown promising preclinical data and is currently in early clinical phase for treatment of metastatic prostate cancer. The aim of the current project is to develop two novel cancer targeting molecules that can target 212Pb to a variety of cancers including colorectal, lung and breast cancer. By the end of the project, these novel 212Pb RLTs will be ready for clinical trials, where the hope is they can provide a novel treatment for patients with these cancers, who need safer and more effective therapies.