Radiopharm Theranostics Ltd (ASX:RAD), which develops radiopharmaceutical products for diagnostic and therapeutic uses, reports that its avβ6 integrin platform technology has been featured in the well-respected journal, Cancers.
The company’s avβ6 platform was invented by highly regarded integrin expert Professor Johannes Notni, with evidence that the avβ6 integrin is found in a variety of challenging cancers including pancreatic, head and neck, and some lung cancers.
Radio-labelling promise
This asset is showing great promise in the area of radio-labelling – tracking the movement and breakdown of target molecules – while the company believes the Ga-68 radiopharmaceutical tracer will excel in the early detection of these cancers using PET imaging.
The article published in Cancers, ‘It’s Time to Shift the Paradigm: Translation and Clinical Application of Non‐αvβ3 Integrin Targeting Radiopharmaceuticals’, investigated recent research into the potential clinical benefit of other radio-labelled integrin ligands.
It concluded that of all integrins, avβ6 is "arguably the most promising target structure for radiotheranostics", recognising its broad clinical scope across oncology as well as fibrotic diseases, which may include COVID-19 related syndromes.
Radiopharm’s integrin to lead the field
Studies in the last 20 years have focused on the subtype αvβ3, but the largest number of recent non-αvβ3 integrin targeted first-in-human applications has been reported for radio-labelled compounds homing to avβ6. The article notes this might lead to a paradigm change and trigger the replacement of αvβ3 by avβ6 as the most popular integrin in theranostics.
“To be published in Cancers is an excellent recognition of Professor Notni and his potentially transformational work,” said Radiopharm Theranostics managing director and CEO Riccardo Canevari.
“A Phase 1 compassionate-use diagnostic approach is ongoing in Germany, targeted at pancreatic and head and neck cancer and to-date including 15 patients.
"Under our Sponsored Research Agreement with Professor Notni and his company, TRIMT GmbH, we look forward to developing the technology toward a therapeutic application in due course.”
The full publication can be viewed at: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/23/5958/htm