BELOIT, Wis. & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC, a global innovator in the development, production, and commercialization of radiopharmaceuticals used for therapeutic applications and medical imaging, and Convergent Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical stage radiopharmaceutical company, today announced the signing of a strategic contract manufacturing services agreement. Convergent’s lead asset CONV01-α is a prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted monoclonal antibody linked to Ac-225 and is currently being investigated as a treatment for prostate cancer.
Under the terms of the expanded collaboration, NorthStar will:
- Provide Convergent with its environmentally preferred, high purity non-carrier-added (n.c.a) Ac-225 for use in CONV01-α,
- Utilize its new, state-of-the-art contract development and manufacturing facility to manufacture CONV01-α to serve patients in Convergent’s clinical trials, and
- Perform research and development activities to support continued development of CONV01-α and other Convergent assets.
In March of this year, Convergent received U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") clearance for its investigational new drug ("IND") application for CONV01-α, a key milestone that enables Convergent to advance CONV01-α into Phase 2 studies and expand the scope of clinical development of CONV01-α as a monotherapy and in combination with other cancer therapies. The manufacturing supply agreement announced today will support these trials and, if U.S. FDA approved, the manufacturing of CONV01-α for commercial purposes.
“The last several years have seen an explosion of research and clinical trials in the area of radiotherapies, especially those using Ac-225,” said Frank Scholz, Chief Executive Officer of NorthStar, “and yet today there are still far too few effective therapies for patients suffering from a variety of serious diseases including many cancers. Why? Because the processes to develop, manufacture and deliver therapeutically effective radiopharmaceuticals like Convergent’s CONV01-α to market – in particular at a scale able to meet patient demand for an approved, marketed medicine -- are highly specialized and complex. At NorthStar, our passion is to reduce technological and operational barriers to help companies like Convergent Therapeutics not only secure a reliable source of Ac-225, but manufacture a finished, patient-ready drug product and continue to develop new and additional therapeutic indications for the patients who need new and better medicines. We are proud to be supporting Convergent and look forward to working with them to help make new medicines like CONV01-α therapeutic reality.”
“We are excited to expand our partnership with NorthStar and the opportunity to leverage NorthStar’s unique position to scale both Ac-225 generation and manufacturing capacity,” said Caitlyn Harvey, Head of Manufacturing at Convergent. “Convergent will begin enrolling patients into the CONVERGE-01 Phase 2 clinical trial in the next couple of months as we continue building on extensive clinical experience which will allow us to rapidly move into our Phase 3 study.”
About CONV01-α
CONV01-α, Convergent's alpha emitting radioantibody, combines the precision and pharmacokinetics of antibodies with the tumor-killing potential of alpha emitting radionuclides. Specifically, CONV01-α uses a humanized monoclonal antibody targeted at prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) which is highly overexpressed in prostate cancer cells. Since PSMA is a validated target, several therapeutics are directed at this antigen and CONV01-α is differentiated by its use of both an antibody and alpha emitter. CONV01-α is linked to a powerful radionuclide called Ac-225, which releases alpha particles which kill cancer cells through DNA double strand breaks. Unlike other radioactive sources, alpha particles deliver high-energy radiation over very short distances, thereby minimizing radiation exposure to healthy neighboring cells and tissues. Pairing highly selective antibodies with such a powerful yet precise payload offers the ideal combination to treat many types of cancers.
About Convergent Therapeutics, Inc.
Convergent Therapeutics Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing tumor-selective alpha radioantibodies to target cancer. The company was founded by world-renowned experts in clinical care and research, drug development and cancer biology and its proprietary platform is licensed from Cornell University. In harnessing the selectivity of antibodies and tumor-destructive potential of alpha radioisotopes, Convergent's radioantibodies precisely target cancer cells with potent, localized radiation. For more information, please visit www.convergentrx.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
About NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC (NorthStar)
NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes is a commercial-stage radiopharmaceutical company at the forefront of advancing patient care by utilizing novel technologies to produce commercial-scale radioisotopes that, once attached to a molecule, have the ability to detect and treat cancer and other serious diseases. NorthStar’s expanding industry-leading position in the emerging field of radiopharmaceutical therapy is supported by its unique capabilities in the sophisticated production of radioisotopes, proven management team, and state-of-the-art, environmentally preferable technologies. NorthStar routinely produces copper-67 (Cu-67) and is poised to be the first commercial-scale producer of non-carrier-added (n.c.a.) actinium-225 (Ac-225). The Company’s Radiopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) services unit provides customized service offerings and specialized radiopharmaceutical expertise to help biopharmaceutical companies rapidly advance their development and commercial programs. For more information about NorthStar’s comprehensive portfolio and patient-focused services, visit: www.northstarnm.com.
