Ariceum Therapeutics (Ariceum), a private biotech company developing radiopharmaceutical products for the diagnosis and treatment of certain hard-to-treat cancers, and Eckert & Ziegler, one of the world’s largest providers of isotopes for medical, scientific and industrial use, today announced the signing of a global supply agreement for the medical radionuclides Actinium-225 (Ac-225) and Lutetium-177 (Lu-177).
Following limited global availability, alongside increasing demand for Ac-225, which comes with intricate manufacturing complexities, this collaboration is a significant step forward in accelerating Ariceum’s novel targeted radiopharmaceutical pipeline programs.
Under the terms of the agreement, Eckert & Ziegler will supply Ariceum with the required quantities of non-carrier-added (n.c.a.) Ac-225 and Lu-177. Both radionuclides will be used to radiolabel Ariceum’s proprietary lead radiopharmaceutical drug (SS0110) satoreotide targeting hard-to-treat cancers in clinical studies and subsequent commercial phases. The agreement also includes options for expansion to other drugs as well as the use of additional radionuclides in preparation for future commercialisation activities.
Manfred Rüdiger, Chief Executive Officer of Ariceum Therapeutics, said: “This important global supply agreement with Eckert & Ziegler for n.c.a. Ac-225 and Lu-177 will ensure an adequate supply of radionuclide isotopes to conduct our clinical trials. We are looking forward to working with the Eckert & Ziegler team to build a robust supply chain and to reliably deliver targeted theranostic treatments for patients with hard-to-treat cancers. Our lead radiopharmaceutical drug, satoreotide is a first-in-class, antagonist of the somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2) labelled with Ac-225 to enter clinical development in small cell lung cancer and in Merkel Cell Carcinoma very soon.”
Dr. Harald Hasselmann, Chief Executive Officer of Eckert & Ziegler, commented: “In collaborating with Ariceum, we support their mission to develop innovative radiopharmaceuticals for the benefit of patients. Both the production start for Ac-225, announced earlier this week, and the successful European approval of Theralugand®, show that our goal is to sustainably reduce the shortage of high-quality radioisotopes. We aim to foster the progress of novel treatments in clinical trials and beyond, and thus contribute to saving lives.”
