Telix Progresses Novel Lung and Ovarian Cancer Theranostic APOMAB®
Melbourne and Adelaide (Australia) – 17 August 2021. Telix extends partnership with AusHealth relating to APOMAB®, a novel theranostic being investigated in lung and ovarian cancers
Specifically, Telix has exercised an option granted in 2019 to in-licence the antibody, based on encouraging preliminary clinical data from a Phase I imaging study that forms part of the current academic collaboration.
APOMAB is an antibody targeting the La/SSB protein, which is specifically expressed by cancer cells that have been treated with chemotherapy and/or radiation. This investigational asset is the subject of an ongoing clinical study being conducted by the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN), led by Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) Cancer Clinical Trials Unit Head, Professor Michael Brown. This Phase I proof-of-concept study is initially using zirconium-89 labelled antibody (89Zr-APOMAB) to evaluate the biological properties and safety of the agent using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging.
With early results demonstrating the potential suitability of APOMAB to safely deliver targeted radiation to advanced lung and ovarian cancers, a follow-on study is currently in planning to accelerate the development of a next generation version of APOMAB labelled with a therapeutic isotope such as lutetium-177 (177Lu).
The trial’s Principal Investigator Professor Michael Brown said, “After years of research at RAH exploring the unique mechanism and potential of APOMAB to diagnose and treat cancer in preclinical models, it is highly pleasing to see this technology demonstrate targeted delivery of radiation to tumours in clinical settings.”
Telix CEO Dr Christian Behrenbruch stated, “Having established a clinical proof-of-concept, we are motivated to progress the licence for this promising technology platform, which has potential as a targeting agent for both imaging and therapy in multiple cancer indications. The next stage in this academic-industry partnership is to take APOMAB into therapeutic studies, with the ultimate aim of commercialisation. We would like to thank Professor Brown and his clinical team at RAH, and most importantly the patients who have contributed to this ground-breaking study.”
AusHealth Managing Director and CEO Greg Johansen added, “Our early research demonstrated that APOMAB binds cancer cells after cytotoxic anticancer treatment. It’s brilliant to see the same binding effect taking place in APOMAB-dosed cancer patients. The APOMAB clinical trial conducted at the Royal Adelaide Hospital shows what can take place when an innovative medical concept is developed into a ‘results driven’ partnership led by AusHealth and by vital industry partners such as Telix. This clinical proof-of-concept strengthens our confidence that APOMAB will become a vital tool, useful in both theranostic and therapeutic applications in clinical settings.”
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