First patients receive new PET tracer; Canadian orgs sign isotope deal, and more molecular imaging updates
Molecular imaging firm Blue Earth Diagnostics announced Tuesday that it has administered its new hybrid PET imaging agent to the initial patients taking part in a clinical trial for prostate cancer.
The Bracco-owned company currently has two phase 3 clinical trials underway testing rhPSMA-7.3 (18F), an investigational prostate-specific membrane antigen-targeted radiohybrid, according to a July 21 announcement.
The organization’s SPOTLIGHT study is being conducted in the U.S. and Europe, and is designed to test the imaging agent’s safety and performance in men with suspected cancer recurrence based on elevated PSA after prior therapy. While the LIGHTHOUSE trial is geared toward doing the same in men with newly diagnosed cancer.
“We are excited that both of our Phase 3 studies for rhPSMA-7.3 (18F) are well underway and enrolling patients, with the hope that our efforts can help inform more personalized clinical management to address the needs of men with prostate cancer,” Jonathan Allis, CEO of Blue Earth Diagnostics, said in a statement.
Canadian orgs seek to expand diagnostic medical isotope production
Three Canadian nuclear medicine organizations signed a commitment Monday to advance efforts toward bolstering the world’s supply of the radioisotopes Molybdenum-99 and Lutetium-177.
Bruce Power, Isogen and BWXT ITG Canada all inked a memorandum of understanding that will leverage existing production systems beginning in 2022. The ‘Made in Ontario’ partnership hopes to meet the growing demand for radiopharmaceuticals that many institutions around the world are already struggling to keep up with, according to the July 20 statement.
“Today’s announcement is another step forward in our commitment to produce isotopes to help the medical community in Canada and around the world to provide patients with the best possible treatment,” said James Scongack, executive VP, Corporate Affairs and Operational Services, of Bruce Power. “It will also continue to build on strong collaboration between Bruce Power and Ontario Power Generation. More importantly, it will make a difference in people’s lives.”
Nuclear med companies work toward new theranostics
Sydney-based Clarity Pharmaceuticals and ImaginAB, a monoclonal antibody-focused firm, have agreed to collaborate on new targeted theranostic products to treat a variety of cancers, the pair announced Tuesday.
The groups said they plan to use Clarity’s copper chelators to develop minibodies, which are used for quick and specific tumor targeting, that utilize copper-64 for diagnosis and copper-67 for therapy.
ImagingAB, an immunocology imaging company based in Los Angeles, specializes in minibodies that, when used during PET scanning, illuminate “high-value” molecular targets. The process helps physicians gain a full-body picture of immune activity.
West Physics acquires Radiological Physics Consultants
West Physics, which labels itself as a global leader in radiation safety consulting, has acquired Radiological Physics Consultants, a Winston-Salem, North Carolina, regional diagnostic physics provider, according to a Tuesday news announcement.
The Atlanta-based firm’s purchase will combine its own 3,500 client sites—including freestanding imaging centers and mobile imaging providers—with Radiological Physics more than 350 sites, which also includes independent and mobile imaging.
Geoffrey West, president and chief medical physicist of West Physics, said the acquisition provides a “major growth opportunity” for the company.
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.