Recent mergers and acquisitions and partnership deals in the medical industry are showing signs of increasing investor interest in the radiopharmaceutical space.
Separate from that investment, Lantheus has an agreement with Radiopharm to license two preclinical assets for $3 million.
Plans involve building new manufacturing facilities, including in Rochester, Minnesota, near the Mayo Clinic, and creating technology for developing, manufacturing and distributing radiopharmaceuticals.
To best identify investment opportunities in this rapidly emerging specialised sector, investors will benefit from a deeper understanding of radiopharmaceuticals and their compelling applications in medicine.
When a complete dosage form is expected to diagnose, monitor treatment effectiveness or provide therapy, and that form is composed of radioactive material and at least one more ingredient, it’s called a radiopharmaceutical.
The nuclear regulators of a country manage all radioactive material. As prescription drugs, radiopharmaceuticals are also regulated by other state actors, such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Second, as a gamma camera detects gamma rays emitted by the radioisotope, a computer forms the image of where radionuclides gather, indicating the possible presence of cancer cells.
Also called radionuclide scanning, this non-invasively produces images of the body part viewed.
The radioactivity dose is similar to an X-ray and dissipates within days.
Specific drugs help to identify tumour markers and ease the locating and staging of cancerous lesions. They allow for tailored targeted therapy and improved monitoring of treatment effectiveness.
Choosing the correctly reacting radioactive element lets diagnosticians see the small details of working cells. Diseases are discovered earlier than with other methods.
Radiopharm Theranostics is among those leading the charge in radiopharmaceutical innovation, developing diagnostics and therapeutic applications through its licensed platform technologies. The company has a diverse pipeline of products in both pre-clinical and clinical stages.
A radioisotope commonly used in nuclear medicine is technetium-99m, which when attached to different molecules permits diagnosing several diseases, including some cancers.
Technetium-99m-MDP (methylene diphosphonate), for example, is used to detect bone metastasis linked with cancer.
Radioactive iodine collects in thyroid cells and can be used to subdue thyroid cancer. Radium-233 (Xofigo) is similar to calcium and is used as a treatment when prostate cancer metastasises into the bones.
Radiopharm Theranostics’ FDA-approved investigational new drug 18-Pivalate (RAD 101), with the radioisotope F18, is a small molecule that targets fatty acids synthase, which is overexpressed in brain tumours but not in normal cells. The company’s Phase 2 imaging trial of 18-Pivalate involving patients with brain metastases has shown some positive results.
One of the largest groups, if not the largest, in the radiopharmaceutical market is cancer patients. They require radionuclide-infused medications to slow or stop the spreading of tumours.
The investment community has started to recognize the potential market growth for radiopharmaceuticals, given the active M&A and investment activities in the space. This could be an opportune time to examine some investment opportunities.
Dave Chappelle is a freelance writer based in Ontario.
This INNSpired article was written according to INN editorial standards to educate investors.
INN does not provide investment advice and the information on this profile should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. INN does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company profiled.
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