Home > News > featured news > Fusion Pharmaceuticals and TRIUMF Announce Expanded R&D Collaboration for Actinium Supply Production

PHARMACY MARKET

Fusion Pharmaceuticals and TRIUMF Announce Expanded R&D Collaboration for Actinium Supply Production

Fusion Pharmaceuticals Inc. | August 13, 2021

Fusion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: FUSN), a clinical-stage oncology company focused on developing next-generation radiopharmaceuticals as precision medicines, and TRIUMF, Canada's particle accelerator centre, today announced that the companies have entered into the next phase of their collaboration agreement for the development, production, and supply of actinium-225. Fusion will provide to TRIUMF funding to further develop technology to produce actinium-225 and in return Fusion will have rights, including preferred access and pricing, to the resulting alpha-emitting medical isotope.

"As we advance our growing pipeline of actinium-based targeted alpha therapies (TATs), we are focused on expanding our manufacturing capabilities and continuing to proactively address and prioritize actinium supply. This supports our strategic plans to develop differentiated radiopharmaceuticals to treat a broad range of cancers with high unmet medical need," said Fusion Chief Executive Officer John Valliant, Ph.D. "We are excited to expand our collaborative relationship with TRIUMF, a leader in isotope production, marking an important step to further expand actinium-225 production and supply."

"Through its TAT platform technology, Fusion has the opportunity to unlock the full potential of actinium, an alpha-emitting isotope with the ability to deliver a potent, highly localized payload to cancer cells, " said TRIUMF Innovations CEO, Kathryn Hayashi. "With this next phase, we are solidifying our partnership with a premier developer of innovative actinium radiopharmaceuticals to deepen TRIUMF's leadership position in isotope production and impact the cancer treatment landscape."

TRIUMF Director and CEO, Nigel Smith, Ph.D. added, "This marks an important milestone in the existing collaboration between Fusion and TRIUMF. Our partnership is generating new ideas and innovations that validate the important role TRIUMF has at the forefront of the global medical isotope ecosystem. Together TRIUMF and Fusion are laying the groundwork for major breakthroughs that will benefit the lives of countless patients around the world."

In December 2020, Fusion and TRIUMF entered a collaboration and supply agreement to develop, produce and procure the supply of actinium-225 to Fusion. As part of this agreement, Fusion will continue its investment of up to $25 million (CAD) in TRIUMF to advance technology and processes for actinium-225 production.

About Fusion
Fusion Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage oncology company focused on developing next-generation radiopharmaceuticals as precision medicines. Employing a proprietary Fast-Clear™ linker technology, Fusion connects alpha particle emitting isotopes to various targeting molecules in order to selectively deliver the alpha emitting payloads to tumors. Fusion's lead program, FPI-1434 targeting insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor, is currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial. The pipeline includes FPI-1966, targeting the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3); and FPI-2059, a small molecule targeting neurotensin receptor 1 (NTSR1). In addition to a robust proprietary pipeline, Fusion has a collaboration with AstraZeneca to jointly develop novel targeted alpha therapies (TATs) and combination programs between Fusion's TATs and AstraZeneca's DNA Damage Repair Inhibitors (DDRis) and immuno-oncology agents. Fusion has also entered into a collaboration with Merck to evaluate FPI-1434 in combination with Merck's KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) in patients with solid tumors expressing IGF-1R. Fusion recently entered into an agreement with Hamilton, Ontario-based McMaster University to build a 27,000 square foot current Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliant radiopharmaceutical manufacturing facility designed to support manufacturing of the Company's growing pipeline of TATs.

About TRIUMF
TRIUMF is Canada's particle accelerator centre. The lab is a hub for discovery and innovation, inspired by a half-century of ingenuity in answering some of nature's most challenging questions. From the hunt for the smallest particles in the universe to the development of new technologies, TRIUMF is pushing frontiers in research, while training the next generation of leaders in science, medicine, and industry.

Spotlight

ValGenesis e-Logbook

ValGenesis e-Logbook eliminates traditional, error-prone, paper-based logbooks for any GMP log type. Say goodbye to illegible handwritten entries, sticky notes, lost logbooks, and cleanroom contamination concerns. Welcome fully compliant, next-generation efficiency.

More featured news

Spotlight

ValGenesis e-Logbook

Related News

PHARMACY MARKET, PHARMA TECH

Merck & XtalPi Collaboration Optimizes Drug Formulations with AI-Powered Techniques

prnewswire | April 18, 2023

Science and technology company Merck and XtalPi Inc., a pioneering pharmaceutical technology company powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, have jointly published a study that highlights the benefits of combining computational workflows with wet lab experiments to advance drug development. Traditional methods like milling and micronization, used to address undesirable crystal morphologies, can be disruptive and costly. In contrast, molecular dynamics simulations offer valuable insights for better crystallization experiment designs. The collaboration between Merck and XtalPi focused on the impact of different polymer additives on the crystal habit of metformin HCl, a diabetes medication. By combining Merck's experimental capabilities with XtalPi's morphology prediction platform, a comprehensive screening approach for crystal morphology engineering was developed. XtalPi's custom-made force fields successfully predicted the influence of polymer additives on metformin HCl's crystal habits. The addition of HPMC led to a transformation from a needle-like to a prismatic morphology, in agreement with experimental observations. The publication demonstrates the potential of merging computational methods and experimental expertise for drug formulation optimization. Dr. Peiyu Zhang, XtalPi's Chief Scientific Officer, said, "By integrating XtalPi's molecular dynamics predictions with Merck's experimental validation, we have taken a step towards the rational engineering of desirable crystal habits. We hope to continue improving this 'dry + wet lab' method with leading industry experts like Merck, in the production of novel therapeutics worldwide." Dr. Jan Gerit Brandenburg, Head of Digital Chemistry at Merck, added, "Our collaboration with XtalPi is transforming pharmaceutical development. By seamlessly incorporating computer simulations with our experimental formulation expertise in a 'digital-first' approach, we are boosting drug development processes and positively impacting patients' lives." About XtalPi XtalPi is a quantum physics and AI-powered pharmaceutical technology platform that provides integrated drug discovery solutions for global pharmaceutical companies. XtalPi has pioneered a new model for drug R&D that leverages a tightly interwoven trifecta of AI, autonomous labs, and expert domain knowledge. The company applies this three-pronged approach in its R&D platform to accelerate the drug discovery and development process and address unmet needs for patients worldwide.

BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMA TECH

AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy Launches RightGuide to Help Minimize Treatment Barriers

Prnewswire | April 27, 2023

AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy, one of the largest specialty and home delivery pharmacies in the country, is taking another step in developing innovative solutions with its recent launch of RightGuide, a custom digital engagement program that allows pharmaceutical manufacturers to seamlessly deliver educational support to patients living with rare diseases or chronic conditions. "RightGuide helps minimize potential treatment barriers, from training patients to self-administer injections to addressing financial concerns to mitigating medication side effects. It's a great solution for breaking down complex details to help patients better digest the information," says Tracey James, RPh, chief operating officer, at AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy. "With RightGuide, we can deliver the right support – directly into the hands of patients – at the right time." AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy created RightGuide to help patients and their caregivers as they navigate the unknowns and complexities of a new therapy. Understanding barriers may be encountered at various stages throughout treatment, RightGuide offers three distinct campaigns, including RightConnect – Onboarding and access RightStart – Therapy initiation and acclimation RightTrack – Ongoing engagement throughout the duration of therapy "Our patient satisfaction surveys indicate patients prefer to engage digitally. RightGuide allows us to deliver relevant information to patients exactly when they need it in their treatment journey," says James. "Patients are more likely to retain this information because it is timely, and presented in an understandable, useful format that's easier for patients to follow." James says pharmaceutical partners are excited to receive co-branded, customized content and drug- or condition-specific resources to help facilitate adherence and retention. Pharmaceutical partners also receive campaign-specific reporting to showcase engagement metrics, including how many patients are accessing information and tools. "Personalization drives engagement and engaged patients have stronger outcomes," says James. "RightGuide is another way we're collaborating with our partners to provide intentional, meaningful engagement while optimizing the patient experience and better positioning them for success on therapy." About AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy provides hope and care for better tomorrows to patients with rare diseases and chronic conditions by delivering medications from its specialty and home delivery pharmacies. Our advanced analytical capabilities, pharmacy expertise and technology solutions enable providers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and health plans to deliver optimal health outcomes. Through personalized care and clinical programs, along with access to the leading number of limited distribution drugs, patients can get back to what matters most. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, the company holds several national pharmacy accreditations and has team members across the United States.

BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMACY MARKET

Drug Development Technology Leader ArisGlobal Completes Acquisition of Amplexor Life Sciences

prnewswire | April 21, 2023

ArisGlobal, the leading provider of life sciences software designed to automate core drug development functions with its end-to-end technology platform LifeSphere®, today announces the completion of its acquisition of Amplexor Life Sciences. This deal will deliver the most intelligent, connected, and comprehensive regulatory platform available, bringing increased efficiency for life sciences organizations as they bring new therapies to market. A key development is the introduction of LifeSphere Quality Management, marking ArisGlobal's entry into the continuous quality improvement and risk management aspects of drug development. LifeSphere Quality represents an expansion of ArisGlobal's interconnected drug development platform that spans the pharmaceutical product lifecycle including Clinical, Regulatory, Medical Affairs and Safety. Robust quality management system (QMS) capabilities, including automated workflows and analytics, are now available to support customers' global regulatory compliance needs. The acquisition also rounds out the end-to-end LifeSphere Regulatory platform with the addition of a labeling management solution and accelerates the Regulatory product roadmap through the integration of enhanced global submission publishing capabilities. ArisGlobal's intent to purchase was previously announced in late February 2023, and brings two new office locations in Croatia and Slovenia into ArisGlobal's geographic footprint. About ArisGlobal ArisGlobal is the creator of LifeSphere, a market leader in drug development technology solutions worldwide that is transforming the way today's most successful life sciences companies develop breakthroughs and bring new products to market. Headquartered in the United States.