On November 16, 2021 Viewpoint Molecular Targeting, Inc. ("Viewpoint" or the "Company"), a radiopharmaceutical company developing precision lead-212-based α-particle oncology therapeutics and complementary diagnostic imaging agents, reported it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) to explore avenues to supply Pb-212 to researchers, and possibly clinicians, in the United Kingdom and Europe, using Viewpoint’s proprietary isotope generator, VMT- -GEN (Press release, Viewpoint Molecular Targeting, NOV 16, 2021, https://viewpointmt.com/viewpoint-molecular-targeting-enters-agreement-with-uk-based-national-nuclear-laboratory-ltd-to-advance-development-of-targeted-alpha-therapy-for-cancer/ [SID1234595698]).
Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:
Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing
Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!
VMT- -GEN is an elegantly-designed isotope generator that provides therapeutic doses of Pb-212 for the Company’s therapeutics – part of its ("Theranostic") programs for the treatment of cancers (including metastatic melanoma, neuroendocrine tumors, and other oncology indications in the company pipeline).
"This agreement is great news for the UK nuclear medicine research community and ultimately, cancer patients. Targeted radionuclide therapy with alpha-emitting radionuclides such as actinium-225 has shown some astonishing success in early small-scale trials for treating cancer patients recently, but availability of these radionuclides is a major roadblock to implementing it more widely, particularly in the UK. The availability of lead-212 made possible by this collaboration will go a long way to removing this roadblock, allowing the UK’s world-leading radiochemistry, radiobiology and clinical researchers to develop new treatments for cancer," added Phil Blower, DPhil, FRSC, Professor of Imaging Chemistry, KCL, Head of Dept of Imaging Chemistry and Biology.
The National Nuclear Laboratory is a UK government owned and operated nuclear services technology provider covering the whole of the nuclear fuel cycle. As part of the agreement, Viewpoint and NNL will explore opportunities for the provision of feedstock radionuclides at the appropriate specification for production of VMT-α-GEN generators; and the use of laboratory facilities required for the production of generators in the UK.
"This agreement with NNL is a momentous step forward as we work to deploy our proprietary VMT- -GEN generator and thereby expand the global availability of lead-212. We believe our VMT- -GEN holds a tremendous amount of potential and this collaboration enables us to supply lead-212 to support preclinical work and clinical trials utilizing VMT-α-GEN in the United Kingdom," commented Michael K. Schultz, PhD, Chief Science Officer of Viewpoint. "We are committed to bolstering our networks with researchers as well as distribution in the UK and Europe to optimize that potential. We are honored to be working with the NNL team and look forward to leveraging their knowledge and expertise."
Radionuclide generators such as VMT- -GEN are used commonly in radiopharmaceutical manufacturing operations and nuclear medicine facilities across the world. The devices share a common characteristic of enabling the production of a purified chemical form of the radionuclide needed that can be easily combined with ligands that seek out cancerous tumors. Because the shelf life of VMT- -GEN is based on longer-lived radionuclides, a single shipment of VMT- -GEN can be used to produce radiopharmaceutical doses daily, for up to a week or more. Given their small footprint, multiple generators can easily be operated within a single facility simultaneously. The device also simplifies radioactive waste management as the spent generator can be easily returned to the manufacturer in approved packaging to eliminate radioactive waste from the medical center or radiopharmacy.