Australian biopharmaceutical company Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: TLX) has signed an agreement with France’s ATONCO S.A.S to investigate the use of Telix’s Molecularly Targeted Radiation (MTR) technology.
The license and development agreement will allow ATONCO to study the use of MTR technology for the treatment of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer that is resistant to standard therapies.
Under the agreement, ATONCO will receive a license to select components of Telix’s antibody portfolio for use with astatine-211, an alpha-emitting radioisotope, to treat bladder cancer that is no longer responsive to standard therapies.
Dr. Christian Behrenbruch, CEO of Telix, said astatine-211 emits alpha particles with a favorable emission profile that is well suited for bladder cancer because it delivers highly localized antitumor radiation with minimal impact on surrounding tissue.
Under the agreement, Telix may receive development milestone payments of approximately A$30 million, as well as royalties upon successful commercialization. Telix retains a right to reacquire the program if clinical data are conclusive.
This collaboration with ATONCO represents a new milestone for Telix, as it is the first time we have licensed our intellectual property to a third party,” said Dr. Behrenbruch. “While we maintain a disciplined focus on our prostate, kidney and brain cancer programs, this collaboration demonstrates the attractiveness of Telix’s technology to our customers, this collaboration demonstrates the attractiveness of our intellectual property to other companies and allows our assets to be developed for new cancer indications beyond Telix’s core focus areas, while giving us the opportunity to re-annex the program if promising clinical data warrant.”
ATONCO CEO Professor Jean-Francois Chatal said the collaboration with Telix Pharmaceuticals is driven by the clinical potential of alpha immunotherapy for non-muscle-invasive refractory bladder cancer.
“This is truly a clinical indication with currently unmet therapeutic efficacy that could benefit from a new treatment through the antibody-targeted features of astatine-211.”
In 2018, bladder cancer was the fifth most common cancer in the United States, with an estimated 82,501 new cases diagnosed and 17,755 deaths resulting from bladder cancer. ATONCO is a privately held French company that develops radiopharmaceuticals for oncology applications. A spin-off of the world-class radiochemistry cluster that includes Nantes University Hospital and the ARRONAX Public Interest Group (GIP), ATONCO and its academic collaborators are dedicated to the clinical use of astatine-211.
About Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited
Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of diagnostic and therapeutic products using molecularly targeted radiation (MTR). The company is headquartered in Melbourne and has international offices in Brussels (EU), Kyoto (JP) and Indianapolis (US). Telix is developing a portfolio of clinical-stage oncology products that address significant unmet medical needs in prostate, kidney and brain (glioblastoma) cancer. Telix is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: TLX).
For more information, visit www.telixpharma.com
About ATONCO
ATONCO is a privately held French company developing molecularly targeted radiopharmaceuticals for oncology applications. Originating from the world-class nuclear medicine cluster in Nantes, France, ATONCO and its partners are committed to the clinical use of alpha-emitting radionuclides, in particular astatine-211 (²¹¹At).
For more information, visit www.atonco-pharma.com