Radiopharm Theranostics Ltd (ASX:RAD)’s AVβ6-Integrin platform is continuing to make important clinical progress while being recognised within the radiopharmaceutical sector in Europe.
The company has now seen 43 patients dosed in Germany, focused on pancreatic as well as head & neck cancer (H&N).
Recognition at GSNM
Professor Johannes Notni, the inventor of the AVβ6-Integrin and member of Radiopharm’s Scientific Advisory Board, presented last week at the annual conference for the German Society of Nuclear Medicine (GSNM) as part of a session titled ‘Ga-68-Trivehexin – A promising radiopharmaceutical for imaging of carcinomas’.
The presentation was met with outstanding feedback from members of the radiopharmaceutical community in attendance.
Furthermore, Dr Neil Quigley, the first author of the two GA-68-Trivehexin publications working out of the labs of Dr Notni, received the George von Hevesy-Award of the German Society of Nuclear Medicine as part of the event.
The annual award is given to the first author of an important publication in the area of radiopharmacy.
It recognises Neil’s personal achievements and also acknowledges the general clinical value of AVβ6-Integrin, one of the assets in Radiopharm’s portfolio.
“Highly prospective technology”
Radiopharm managing director and CEO Riccardo Canevari said: “We’re very pleased to see the progress and widespread recognition of our AVβ6-Integrin platform, especially at an event as prestigious as that run by GSNM.
“We look forward to bringing further updates on this highly prospective technology.”
Promising candidate for early detection
AVβ6-Integrin is a strong selective ligand for a cell surface protein called αvβ6-integrin.
As such, it can accumulate in tissue areas characterised by high αvβ6-integrin level.
There is compelling evidence that αvβ6-integrin is over expressed in many of the most challenging cancers such as pancreatic cancer and H&N.
AVβ6 offers noteworthy performance for radiolabelling with 68Ga and is a promising candidate for early detection of the above-mentioned conditions by PET imaging.
High unmet medical need
Pancreatic cancer and H&N represent high unmet medical needs and new imaging/therapeutic solutions are strongly desired.
Based on available US data, although pancreatic cancer is a relatively rare cancer, it is so deadly it is now on track to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths by 2040.
It currently accounts for about three per cent of all cancers and seven per cent of cancer deaths.
Overall, only one person in 10 diagnosed with pancreatic cancer survives five years.