Global pharmaceutical companies acquire radiopharmaceuticals

K-Bio enters development

Lily·AstraZeneca·Novartis acquired companies specializing in radiopharmaceuticals

Domestic biopharmaceutical companies have also begun development…FutureChem has successfully entered a Phase 2 trial

The high interest in radiopharmaceuticals has led to investments by pharmaceutical companies.

 

Last year and this year, Lily invested KRW 3.5 trillion in a company developing radiopharmaceuticals.

 

Global pharmaceutical companies, including AstraZeneca, Novartis, and BMS, have acquired companies developing radiopharmaceuticals and entered the market.

 

In South Korea, FutureChem and Dong-A ST are also developing radiopharmaceuticals and exploring opportunities for technology transfer and commercialization potential.

 

Radiopharmaceuticals work by delivering radioactive isotopes into the body, and then the isotopes release radio waves when reaching cancer cells, destroying cancer organs.

 

Radiopharmaceuticals are divided up by diagnosis and treatment markets, with the diagnosis market having over 90%.

 

The major pharmaceutical industry is focused on the radiopharmaceuticals diagnosis market and the treatment market, which represents a blue ocean opportunity.

 

According to industry sources on May 28th, Lily signed a co-development deal with Aktis Oncology, a company specializing in radiopharmaceuticals.

 

Through this contract, Lily has acquired the right to commercialize a part of Aktis’ developing products for diagnosis.

 

Lily will pay Aktis up to US$1.1 billion as it achieves future milestones, including a $60 million upfront payment.

 

Following the acquisition of POINT Biopharma and the development of biopharmaceuticals with Aktis, Lily demonstrated a focus on the industry.

 

Lily invested US$1.4 billion (approximately KRW 2 trillion) in acquiring POINT Biopharma’s PNT2022, a prostate cancer treatment candidate, and PNT2003, a neuroendocrine tumor treatment candidate.

 

Global pharmaceutical companies, including Lily, Novartis, AZ, and BMS, enter radiopharmaceuticals development.

 

Novartis also completed the acquisition of a company specializing in developing radiopharmaceuticals.

 

Novartis succeeded in acquiring Mariana Oncology of the United States.

 

The contract size was up to US$1.75 billion.

 

Through this acquisition, Novartis secured MC-339, an actinium-based radioligand therapy (RLT).

 

MC-339 is under clinical trials for indication in small-cell lung cancer.

 

Radioligand is a treatment that conjugates therapeutic radioisotope with a targeted ligand.

 

When the therapeutic radioisotope binds to targeted cells, the radioisotope is released, inhibiting the cancer cell growth.

 

Novartis plans to expand its radiopharmaceuticals pipeline.

 

Last month, Novartis signed a co-development agreement with Japan’s pharmaceutical company PeptiDream.

 

PeptiDream has PDC (peptide-drug conjugate) technology, which conjugates a peptide to radionucleotides.

 

In addition to having prostate cancer treatment Pluvicto and neuroendocrine tumor treatment Lutathera, Novartis aims to secure additional novel drugs.

 

AstraZeneca and BMS also initiated radiopharmaceuticals development.

 

In March last year, AstraZeneca acquired Fusion Pharmaceuticals, a Canadian company developing radiopharmaceuticals.

 

AstraZeneca secured FPI-2265, a novel candidate for treating metastatic prostate cancer.

 

FPI-2265, targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), is under phase 2 clinical trials.

 

FPI-2068, a EGFR-cMET targeting radioconjugate, also entered a Phase 1 study.

 

In December, BMS acquired RayzeBio, a company specializing in radiopharmaceuticals, for approximately US$4.1 billion.

 

RayzeBio is developing radiopharmaceuticals that target a wide range of solid cancers, including gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NET).

 

Its primary pipeline includes GEP-NET, RYZ101, which targets somatostatin receptor 2 (SSRT2) overexpressed in small-cell lung cancer, and RYZ801, targeting glypican-3 (GPC3).

 

Attention↑ in South Korea…FutureChem entered a Phase 2a study As global pharmaceutical companies show high interest in radiopharmaceuticals, opportunities for domestic biopharmaceutical companies to transfer technology may be on the horizon.

 

Currently, FutureChem is evaluated to be at the foremost stage of development.

 

This month, FutureChem initiated the first administration of FC705, targeting castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), in a patient as part of its Phase 2a study in the United States.

 

FC705 is a radiopharmaceutical targeting PSMA, which is overexpressed in prostate cancer cell surfaces.

 

This treatment is based on a PSMA-binding peptide conjugated with a therapeutic radioisotope, which kills the cancer cells.

 

In Phase 1 clinical trials, all the patients treated with FC705 met overall response rates (ORR) and disease control rates (DCR).

 

FutureChem is conducting a Phase 2 trial in South Korea, in addition to its U.S.

 

clinical trials and is under discussion for technology transfer with China.

 

AbTis, a Dong-A ST’s subsidiary, will start novel radiopharmaceuticals development with CellBion.

 

Last month, two companies signed a co-development agreement.

 

Utilizing AbTis’ AbClick, a linker platform technology, and CellBion’s linker technology of radiopharmaceuticals, they plan to develop a novel Antibody-Radionuclide Conjugate (ARC) targeting gastric cancer and pancreatic cancer.

 

AbTis plans to use Ac-225, a strong therapeutic radioisotope, and cooperate in clinical, production, and commercialization.

 

SK Biopharmaceuticals designated radiopharmaceuticals as one of three new modalities and aims to enter clinical trials within three years.

 

In September last year, SK Biopharmaceuticals signed a business agreement with the Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences (KIRAMS) for novel drug study, clinical development utilizing actinium-225 (Ac-225), the key ingredient of radiopharmaceuticals, and constructing related facilities.