September 10, 2021 — NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC, a global innovator in the development, production and commercialization of radiopharmaceuticals used for therapeutic applications and medical imaging, and POINT Biopharma Global Inc., a company accelerating the discovery, development, and global access to life changing radiopharmaceuticals, today announced the signing of a supply agreement for the therapeutic medical radioisotope actinium-225 (Ac-225).
Ac-225 is a high energy alpha-emitting radioisotope that is a mainstay for studies in targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT), which combines select molecules with therapeutic radioisotopes, such as Ac-225, to directly target and deliver therapeutic doses of radiation to destroy cancer cells in patients with serious disease. Ac-225 carries sufficient radiation to cause cell death in a localized area of targeted cells, while its half-life limits unwanted radioactivity in patients. Clinical research and commercial use of Ac-225 are severely constrained by chronic short supply due to limitations of current production technology. NorthStar is positioned to be the first commercial-scale producer of Ac-225, applying its radioisotope production technology expertise to provide reliable supply for advancing clinical research and commercial radiopharmaceutical products.
Under the terms of the agreement, NorthStar will provide POINT with its electron accelerator-produced Ac-225 and POINT will use NorthStar’s Ac-225 in investigational studies of PNT2001, a next-generation Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) for non-metastatic castrate-sensitive prostate cancer (nmCSPC); PNT2004, a Fibroblast Activation Protein-α candidate with potential pan-cancer applications; and to advance its novel Tumor Microenvironment (TME) tumor-targeting technology platform.
“NorthStar is at the forefront of U.S. radioisotope production as the only commercialized producer of the important medical radioisotope molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), and we are applying that same development expertise to rapidly advance large-scale availability of Ac-225,” said Stephen Merrick, President and Chief Executive Officer of NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes. “Our Ac-225 process uses highly efficient electron accelerator production technology that provides increased capacity and scheduling flexibility. Like all NorthStar processes, it is environmentally friendly, non-uranium based and uses highly advanced technology. We are very pleased to enter this Ac-225 supply agreement with an industry leader such as POINT, with whom we share a vision to progress research and clinical availability of targeted radiotherapies for cancer patients as a potential treatment option.”
“A resilient radioisotope supply chain is key to advancing our next-generation pipeline of targeted radiopharmaceuticals,” said Joe McCann, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of POINT. “NorthStar’s deep experience and commercial competencies in radioisotope production make them an ideal partner, and we believe that their accelerator production technology will provide us with a differentiated and highly efficient supply route for the therapeutic radioisotope Ac-225.”
For more information: www.northstarnm.com
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