Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company Radiopharm Theranostics (ASX:RAD) has made regulatory and manufacturing progress for its B7-H3 targeting radio-antibody, BetaBart.
The monoclonal antibody is the first radiopharmaceutical therapeutic agent developed by Radiopharm Ventures, the Joint Venture formed between Radiopharm Theranostics (RAD) and MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC).
The strong preclinical data package combined with GMP quality production, supported the pre-IND submission to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Preparations are on track to prepare the IND submission with the FDA and subsequently start the Phase I/II First-In-Human (FIH) therapeutic trial with BetaBart in multiple tumour types in the US, expected for mid-2025.
B7-H3 is an immune checkpoint molecule that is overexpressed in several tumour types, and represents a highly attractive target for antibody-based cancer immunotherapy. Deregulated B7-H3 expression is linked with tumour aggressiveness and poor outcomes. BetaBart is the first and only targeted radiopharmaceutical in development against the 4Ig subtype of B7-H3, which is the most common subtype expressed on human tumours.
Multiple preclinical studies with BetaBart show tumour shrinkage and prolonged survival in animals treated with this radiotherapeutic agent. The monoclonal antibody, invented at MDACC, has been specifically engineered with a shorter blood circulation time and reduced affinity for on-target off- tissue toxicity, leading to a final molecule that is highly promising for human use in clinical settings.
BetaBart will be used in the planned FIH clinical trial as a 177 Lutetium-conjugated therapeutic. The supply chain of the isotope Lu177 has been secured by multiple contracts.
"We are extremely pleased with the strong collaboration with MD Anderson and the early results we saw with BetaBart (RV-01) are impressive, so we’re looking forward to developing this further,” Managing Director and CEO, Riccardo Canevari, said.