Therapeutic oncology company RefleXion Medical has acquired the global rights to RXM-4768, a radiopharmaceutical molecule, from 3B Pharmaceuticals (3BP) for the treatment of high unmet need cancers including brain, pancreatic, and liver.
RXM-4768 targets the fibroblast activation protein (FAP), which is present in almost all types of solid tumours.
Under the licensing agreement, RefleXion will develop and commercialise RXM-4768 to direct its SCINTIX biology-guided radiotherapy.
The terms of the deal also include undisclosed upfront and annual license payments to 3BP. The therapeutic oncology firm will also make additional payments and commercial royalties to 3BP upon meeting specified regulatory and commercial milestones.
According to the US-based RefleXion, the radiopharmaceutical molecule has the potential to considerably broaden the range of patients eligible for SCINTIX therapy, including those with solid tumour cancers at any stage. This expansion may lead to improved outcomes and streamline procedural workflows, said the company.
By leveraging its technology platform, Germany-based 3BP is said to have discovered and characterised a large portfolio of FAP-targeting molecules as potential diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals.
Both companies chose one molecule that is useful with RefleXion’s SCINTIX radiotherapy which expands the function of FAP-targeting molecules to include directing external-beam radiotherapy delivery in real time.
RefleXion chief business officer Thorsten Melcher said: “Our partnership with 3BP is as unprecedented in the external-beam radiotherapy industry as our SCINTIX therapy is for cancer treatment.
“We are excited, in collaboration with 3BP and others, to advance this molecule through clinical testing to commercialisation.”
Administered via the RefleXion X1 system, the SCINTIX therapy utilises emissions generated by cancer cells following the injection of a radiopharmaceutical into the patient. This approach delivers a continuous and autonomous radiation dose that precisely targets the cancer itself, said RefleXion.
RXM-4768 is part of the rights that 3BP retained under a global exclusive licensing agreement for the company’s FAP-targeting peptide technology with Novartis Innovative Therapies.
3B Pharmaceuticals founder and managing director Ulrich Reineke said: “We designed RXM-4768 with the unique requirements for SCINTIX therapy in mind, and our preclinical data demonstrated its potential as an effective biology guide for potentially most solid tumour cancer types.
“We look forward to working with RefleXion and their collaborator network to bring this project to fruition.”
