Cytogen and Dowpharma Collaborate to Develop Targeted Oncology Product

Cytogen, a biopharmaceutical company, and Dowpharma, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Co., have entered into a collaboration to create a targeted oncology product designed to treat prostate and other cancers. Under the agreement, Dowpharma's proprietary MeO-DOTA bifunctional chelant technology will be used to radiolabel Cytogen's prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) antibody with a therapeutic radionuclide. This collaboration represents a significant step in the development of Cytogen's therapeutic franchise in oncology, leveraging Dowpharma's expertise in chelation, conjugation, process, and radiochemistry.

Key Takeaways:

The collaboration involves the use of Dowpharma's MeO-DOTA bifunctional chelant technology to radiolabel Cytogen's PSMA antibody with a therapeutic radionuclide.
The PSMA antibody, 7E11-C5.3, is directed against an intracellular epitope of PSMA and has been excluded from the PSMA technology licensed to the PSMA Development Co., LLC.
The joint venture between Cytogen and Dowpharma will focus on attaching a therapeutic radioisotope to the 7E11 antibody, enabling targeted delivery of a cytotoxic agent.
Dowpharma's MeO-DOTA bifunctional chelant will be used to attach the beta-emitting radionuclide lutetium-177 as a payload to the 7E11 antibody.
The resulting molecule will be developed for the treatment of various cancers, initially in prostate, that express the PSMA marker.
This collaboration represents a significant step in the development of Cytogen's therapeutic franchise in oncology, leveraging Dowpharma's expertise in chelation, conjugation, process, and radiochemistry.

Statistics:

The use of Dowpharma's MeO-DOTA bifunctional chelant technology has been shown to provide exceptional stability to ensure that therapeutic radionuclides do not separate from the monoclonal antibodies that target them to tumors (Source: Health & Medicine Week).
The attachment of the beta-emitting radionuclide lutetium-177 as a payload to the 7E11 antibody will enable targeted delivery of a cytotoxic agent.
The resulting molecule is designed for the treatment of various cancers, including prostate cancer, that express the PSMA marker.

Sources:

Health & Medicine Week, "Cytogen and Dowpharma Collaborate to Develop Targeted Oncology Product" (2005)