KYOTO and OSAKA, Japan, May 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX:TLX) (“Telix”, the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of diagnostic and therapeutic products based on targeted radiopharmaceuticals or “molecularly-targeted radiation” (MTR), has today announced a research collaboration with the Department of Nuclear Medicine and Tracer Kinetics at Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine.
The collaboration is partially funded through a pilot grant from the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) through their Open Innovation Platform with Enterprises, Research Institute and Academia (OPERA) program. The initial proof-of-concept funding totals ~USD$130,000 and the research collaboration will be managed through Telix’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Telix Pharmaceuticals Japan KK.
Led by Prof. Jun Hatazawa, the Department of Nuclear Medicine and Tracer Kinetics at Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine is one of Japan’s leading nuclear medicine departments, with particular expertise in the use of alpha nuclides for cancer therapy. Under the research partnership, Telix will explore the feasibility of using several of its targeting agents with astatine. Astatine is an “alpha emitter”, a very high-energy radionuclide that is capable of significantly altering the tumor micro-environment when attached to a molecular targeting agent that is specific for cancer cells. It is expected that the initial research collaboration will pave the way to clinical studies in the near future.
Telix Japan President Dr. Shintaro Nishimura stated, “It is a great honor for us to collaborate with Prof. Hatazawa and the team at Osaka University. There is considerable clinical and governmental interest in the use of alpha nuclide therapy in Japan because of its comparative handling safety, radiation profile and potential for excellent clinical utility in cancer patients. Japan is at the forefront of this research field because of the traditional aversion to using beta-emitting radionuclides in cancer care.”
Professor of Nuclear Medicine Dr. Jun Hatazawa added, “We are pleased to be working with Telix on alpha therapy here at Osaka University. These kinds of industry-academia partnerships are vital to evaluating the clinical utility of new technologies that have the potential to impact cancer care. We are particularly appreciative of the access to matched funding from the JST OPERA program.”
About Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited
Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (Telix) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of diagnostic and therapeutic products based on targeted radiopharmaceuticals or “molecularly-targeted radiation” (MTR). The company is headquartered in Melbourne with international operations in Brussels (EU), Kyoto (JP) and Indianapolis (US). Telix is developing a portfolio of clinical-stage oncology products that address significant unmet medical need in renal, prostate and brain (glioblastoma) cancer. Telix is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX:TLX). For more information visit www.telixpharma.com.
About Nuclear Medicine at Osaka University
The Integrated Radiation Laboratory at Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine is an interdisciplinary environment combining the use of diagnostic imaging techniques (PET and SPECT) as well as new application areas in therapeutic radiation oncology and radioactive isotopes. The team has the resources and personnel to explore novel radiopharmaceuticals from pre-clinical models to application in clinical practice. The laboratory is led by Professor Jun Hatazawa, one of Japan’s leading nuclear medicine physicians and current President of Asia Oceania Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology.
About Osaka University
Osaka University is a national university located in Osaka, Japan. It is the sixth oldest university in Japan (Osaka Prefectural Medical College), one of Japan's “National Seven” Universities and consistently ranked as one of the top research institutions in Japan with particular research excellence in biology, chemistry and medicine. Osaka University is a comprehensive university comprised of 11 schools with 16 corresponding graduate schools, multiple joint-use facilities and national research labs. The university consists of approximately 6,500 staff, 15,000 undergraduates and 7,000 graduate students across four campus locations.
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| Dr Christian Behrenbruch Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited CEO Email: chris@telixpharma.com | Kyahn Williamson WE Buchan Tel: +61 (3) 9866 4722 Email: kwilliamson@buchanwe.com.au |
Important Information
This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities in the United States, or in any other jurisdiction in which such an offer would be illegal. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the “US Securities Act”), or under the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States and may not be offered or sold within the United States, unless the securities have been registered under the US Securities Act or an exemption from the registration requirements of the US Securities Act is available.