Biopharmaceutical company Starpharma Holdings has ventured into a partnership with the University of Queensland’s (UQ) Hub for Advanced Manufacture of Targeted Radiopharmaceuticals (AMTAR Hub) to advance research and development on the ASX company’s targeted DEP radiotheranostic products.
Starpharma recently revealed new data for DEP HER2-zirconium, a HER2-targeted radiodiagnostic product, demonstrating its imaging benefits in a HER2-positive breast cancer model. The data was obtained through studies conducted in the UQ laboratories of AMTAR Hub director Professor Kris Thurechty from the Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology’s Centre for Advanced Imaging.
The partnership will explore a wide range of potential applications of Starpharma’s targeted DEP radiopharmeceutical products and accelerate the development of the company’s expanding portfolio of targeted DEP radiotheranostic products.
In an ASX announcement, Starpharma said the DEP platform technology affords several benefits to radiotheranostics and advantages over standard biological targeting of radioisotopes using monoclonal antibodies.
These advantages include the ability to use a broad range of targeting molecules combined with a broad range of radioisotopes with different diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
“Starpharma is excited to collaborate with lead organisation UQ as part of the AMTAR Hub to access additional resources and accelerate the development of our expanding portfolio of targeted DEP radiotheranostic products. Spearheaded by internationally recognised Professor Kris Thurecht, the AMTAR Hub is a significant initiative that will shape the future of Australia’s radiotheranostics industry,” said Jackie Fairley, CEO of Starpharma.
The R&D partnership comes after UQ’s AMTAR Hub received $4.8 million in federal funding from the Australian Research Council. The hub is focused on advancing the development of radiopharmaceuticals in Australia and seeks to unlock world-leading research capabilities, scientific innovations and expertise in the radiopharmaceutical field.
“We are pleased to partner with Starpharma to collaborate within the AMTAR Hub on research and development of the broad range of potential applications of its unique targeted DEP® radiopharmaceutical products. The DEP platform offers several distinct advantages versus other biological and nanotechnology approaches and we are encouraged by the existing data,” said Professor Thurecht.
