Radiopharm Theranostics Ltd (ASX:RAD) has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Technology Development Group (UCLA-TDG) for the university’s promising LRRC15-targeting antibody dubbed 'DUNP19'.
The licensing agreement allows Radiopharm to develop DUNP19 as an antibody-drug conjugate for radiotherapy as part of its clinical development pipeline.
LRCC15 expression is produced by cancer cells and the surrounding tumour micro-environment, but not by healthy normal tissue.
LRCC15 production is particularly high in aggressive and treatment-resistant tumours, meaning the treatment DUNP19 has potential to be a first-in-class therapy for a range of solid tumours due to its dual-targeting action that affects both tumour cells and the surrounding stroma (environment) and its swift internalisation.
DUNP19 potential “particularly exciting”
“We are excited to have entered into the licensing agreement with UCLA and to have added DUNP19, a breakthrough dual action monoclonal antibody, to our clinical development pipeline,” Radiopharm CEO and managing director Riccardo Canevari said.
“DUNP19 has demonstrated promise for several indications, but its potential as first in class therapy for osteosarcoma is particularly exciting, considering the high unmet need in the children and adolescents who typically suffer this disease.”
Osteosarcoma is a bone cancer with a high unmet medical need that impacts young adults most commonly. Aggressive osteosarcoma has one of the highest expressions of LRRC15, making it an ideal candidate for proof-of-concept testing.
Radiopharm will target this disease initially, although the treatment has potential for many other indications in future studies.
The company sees the licensing agreement for DUNP19 as clear evidence of its commitment to advancing radiopharmaceutical therapies, especially those targeting areas of disease with unmet needs.