Recent deals in radiopharmaceuticals, the latest being AstraZeneca PLC’s acquisition of Fusion Therapeutics, have drawn investor attention to a modality that has been the focus of academic interest for a long time.
It was in 1896 that Henri Becquerel discovered mysterious rays from uranium and in 1951 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first approved the radiopharmaceutical sodium iodide I-131 for use in thyroid patients.
Novartis AG’s prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted lutetium vipivotide tetraxetan, used to treat castration-resistant prostate cancer, reported 2023 sales of $980m in its first full year on the market, making it the most successful product in the category.
Boston-based Ratio Therapeutics, Inc. has two R&D platforms - Trillium and Macropa - to develop radiopharmaceuticals. With a fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-targeted diagnostic handed over to Lantheus for further development, the company expects to file an investigational new drug (IND) application for a FAP-targeted therapeutic by the fourth quarter of this year.
In a radionuclide-agnostic approach, the company has been experimenting with the use of both beta particle-emitting lutetium and alpha particle-emitting actinium. The latest round of funding led to an investment by Bristol Myers Squibb Company, which notably acquired RayzeBio, Inc. to bolster its radiopharma portfolio towards the end of 2023.
Scrip spoke to Jack Hoppin, CEO and chairman, and John Babich, chief scientific officer, at Ratio Therapeutics about the company’s pipeline, use of artificial intelligence and the latest R&D trends and developments like combining antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) or poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors such as Lynparza (olaparib) with radiopharmaceuticals.
Previous licensing and development agreements with Bayer AG, Merck & Co., Inc. and Lantheus Holdings, Inc., a manufacturing tie-up with PharmaLogic, a "melting ice cream" phenomenon and supply chain challenges which had caused shortages of Pluvicto were also discussed, among other topics.
TIME STAMPS
00:09 Brief introduction
03:03 Funding environment
04:11 FAP-targeted PET-imaging diagnostic candidate progress
05:49 Out-licensing to Lantheus
06:22 Clinical trial plan for FAP-targeted therapeutic
07:56 Actinium-225 use, monitoring, countering
10:56 Using Lutetium-177 in a therapeutic candidate
12:20 Radiopharmaceuticals in neurological disorders
14:06 Trillium platform to design candidates
18:54 Choice of FAP as a target
22:33 Combining radiopharmaceuticals with checkpoint or PARP inhibitors
26:26 Combining alpha- and beta-emitting isotopes
28:40 Role of AI in radiopharma
30:26 The melting ice cream phenomenon
33:00 Benefits of PharmaLogic partnership
36:12 Merck, Bayer, Lantheus tie-ups
37:39 Excitement in the field
RELATED STORIES
(Also see "AstraZeneca Looks To Many Modalities In Cancer" - Scrip, 8 April, 2024.)
(Also see "BMS Makes Second Big Buy Of December, Pays $4.1bn For RayzeBio" - Scrip, 27 December, 2023.)
(Also see "BMS’ Boerner Bets On AI-Driven R&D In India, Points To Potential For MS, Lupus Drugs" - Scrip, 4 March, 2024.)
(Also see "What’s New, And What’s Coming, In Radiopharmaceuticals" - Scrip, 2 February, 2024.)
(Also see "Late To The Antibody-Drug Conjugate Party, But Will 2024 Be A Turning Point For India?" - Scrip, 4 January, 2024.)
(Also see "Bayer Saddles Up For Bicycle Radioconjugate Pact" - Scrip, 10 May, 2023.)
