On September 22, 2021 Theragnostics, which is developing molecular radiotherapy for imaging and treating a broad range of cancers, reported that it has signed a global licensing agreement with Advanced Accelerator Applications S.A. ("AAA"), a Novartis company, to develop and commercialise Gallium-68 (Ga-68) one-step PET radiopharmaceuticals (Press release, Theragnostics, SEP 22, 2021, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=theragnostics-announces-licensing-agreement-for-development-and-commercialization-of-one-step-pet-radiopharmaceuticals [SID1234590131]).
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Under the terms of the agreement, Theragnostics receives an upfront payment and is eligible for future royalties on sales of resulting products. AAA has exclusive rights to commercialise the one-step PET radiopharmaceuticals developed under the licensed patent.
In the context of nuclear medicine, the use of targeting molecules labelled either with diagnostic imaging radioisotopes such as Ga-68 or with therapeutic radioisotopes such as Lutetium 177 (Lu-177) are used for precision imaging and therapy of a particular disease.
To date, the production of Ga-68 radiopharmaceuticals has involved a multi-step approach limiting the number of patient doses produced at any one time. Theragnostics’ Ga-68 technology platform enables the production of Ga-68 radiopharmaceuticals in a single multi-dose vial in one simple step. With an ever-increasing number of promising cancer targets radiolabelled with Ga-68, it is important to maximise the Ga-68 supply. With several Ga-68 radiopharmaceuticals being commercialised, the demand for Ga-68 radiopharmaceuticals is rapidly growing and potentially a multi-billion-dollar market.
Greg Mullen, Chief Executive Officer of Theragnostics, said: "Theragnostics’ strategy is to develop novel diagnostic imaging agents and targeted radionuclide therapies to improve treatment for a broad range of cancers. This agreement enables us to accelerate the development of our own novel radionuclide therapy and diagnostic portfolio and has the potential to offer new and expanded treatment options to patients in several cancers."
Ken Herrmann, Board Member of Theragnostics, added: "Recent positive data for radioligand therapy in prostate cancer will likely lead to an increased demand of PSMA PET imaging. This agreement with AAA represents another important pathway to meet the potential demand of PSMA PET imaging of patients in need."