Defence Therapeutics Inc. has announced that it has successfully reached the first milestone established in the Orano collaboration agreement.
The collaboration agreement was entered with Orano Support SAS, a world-renowned multinational company, to develop the next-generation radio-immunoconjugates using Defence’s intracellular targeting technology.
What does the first milestone consist of?
The first milestone consists of synthesising the AccuTOXTM peptide containing the DOTA chelator and the Azide moiety.
The radioactive molecule will be encapsulated by the DOLA chelator. The Azide moiety is used for antibody linking through click chemistry.
What are the next milestones in the Orano collaboration agreement?
The following milestones involve synthesising a second AccuTOXTM variant containing a cathepsin B-dependent cleavable sequence (valine-citrulline).
As well as this, the conjugation of the uncleavable AccuTOXTM peptide variant to the Herceptin antibody (trastuzumab) will be performed.
Developing best-in-class radiotherapeutics
The development of novel radio-based therapies by combining Defence’s intracellular targeting technology with cancer-targeting antibodies will exhibit a higher specificity and selectivity.
It will also ensure increased therapeutic efficacy with lower adverse events.
“We are pleased to successfully be in line with the timeline of our Orano collaboration agreement to develop the first radio-immuno-conjugates therapy based on the Auger electron emitter. By combining Defence’s intracellular targeting expertise and radiochemistry expertise provided by Orano, we are confident to develop a best-in-class radiotherapeutics with enhanced efficacy,” said Sebastien Plouffe, Chief Executive Officer of Defence Therapeutics.
The radiopharmaceuticals market is predicted to grow
According to the Insight Partners, the radiopharmaceuticals market is expected to reach $13.818bn by 2028 – up from $7.55bn in 2021. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.0% during this same period.
The Grand View Research, Inc. has reported that the global cancer immunotherapy market is expected to reach $196.45bn by 2030, registering a CAGR of 7.2% during the forecast period.
