Nordic Nanovector and AREVA to investigate lead-212 for leukaemia

Nordic Nanovector and AREVA Med have entered into a collaboration agreement to investigate the potential of a ²¹²Pb-conjugated anti-CD37 antibody for the treatment of leukaemias.

Under the terms of the agreement, Nordic Nanovector will provide its chimeric anti-CD37 antibody (NNV003) and its expertise in antibody radionuclide conjugate (ARC) development while AREVA Med will provide expertise in the production of ²¹²Pb, in the development of Targeted Alpha Therapies using this radionuclide and in site-specific bioconjugation methods through its Macrocyclics subsidiary.

The radionuclide ²¹²Pb has important characteristics that make it an attractive payload for the treatment of leukaemias where there is no substantial tumour mass and tumour cells are in close proximity to healthy tissues. These properties are based on the decay chain of ²¹²Pb with the emission of very short range alpha particles, thereby offering the potential to create innovative therapies with highly localised targeting and tumour cell killing with improved tolerability.

Preclinical studies to determine the safety and efficacy profile of ²¹²Pb-ARC

Preclinical studies to determine the initial safety and efficacy profile of the novel anti-CD37 ²¹²Pb-ARC will be conducted at AREVA Med’s facility in Plano, Texas. Nordic Nanovector has the option to license any resulting ARCs for further development and AREVA Med has the option to license the use of CD37-targeting antibodies for its own purposes.

Both companies will contribute to the collaboration, which will also benefit from grant funding awarded in February 2016 to Nordic Nanovector from the Research Council of Norway’s user-driven research-based innovation programme.

Commenting on the collaboration, Nordic Nanovector’s Chief Scientific Officer, Jostein Dahle, said: “The CD37 antigen is expressed on the surface of many haematological cancer cells, including leukaemia cells, making it an important target for ARC-based therapies. Our long-term strategy is focused on building a pipeline of products that leverages our expertise in CD37-targeting and ARCs, combined, where necessary, with therapeutic payloads and complementary expertise from partners such as AREVA Med. We are excited to begin this new collaboration and to evaluate the potential of this novel ²¹²Pb-ARC for treating leukaemias.”

Patrick Bourdet, President & CEO of AREVA Med added: “In addition to our recent facility opening in Texas for the production of ²¹²Pb and development of Targeted Alpha Therapies with ²¹²Pb, this new partnership with Nordic Nanovector expands our project pipeline and places AREVA Med in a very strong position to meet the anticipated acceleration of our development.”