Orano Med SAS, “Orano Med”, a biotechnology company developing Lead-212 (212Pb) Targeted Alpha Therapy against cancer, and Orbit Discovery Ltd, “Orbit”, a leader in the discovery of therapeutic peptide hits, today announced that they have entered into a collaboration to discover specific Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapies against cancer cells and advance the development of novel radiopharmaceuticals. Under the terms of the agreement, Orbit will deploy its bead-based peptide display engine to discover peptide leads specific to targets related to specific tumours.
Radioligand therapies rely on a simple concept: combining the ability of biological molecules such as peptides to target cancer cells with the short-range cell-killing capabilities of radioisotopes. This approach results in an increased cytotoxic potential toward cancer cells while limiting toxicity to nearby healthy cells. It opens new perspectives for patients with difficult to treat cancers and the global market of targeted radiotherapies is expected to grow at a CAGR of 30% between 2023 and 2030.
The collaboration will harness the capabilities of Orbit’s peptide display engine to identify peptide candidates specific to tumour-associated targets. The proprietary technology enables the screening of large peptide collections through the combination of DNA encoded libraries and bead-based presentation. Orbit’s peptide display engine is uniquely equipped to address soluble targets and targets in situ, both on and in cells, allowing for significantly faster discovery times of relevant peptide leads based on affinity screens and/or functional screens. Orano Med will focus on subsequent development of the peptides for clinical use after conjugation with lead-212, one of the most promising alpha emitter isotopes for use in radioligand therapy.
Dr Neil Butt, Chief Executive Officer, Orbit Discovery, said: “We’re delighted to continue expanding our existing portfolio of partners by collaborating with Orano Med who have a strong track record of discovering novel radiopharmaceuticals.” He continued: “We’re very proud of our proprietary screening platform at Orbit and acknowledge its role in empowering the next wave of peptide therapeutics.”
Julien Dodet, Chief Executive Officer, Orano Med, commented: “Since the inception of Orano Med, we have recognised the value of collaboration.” He added: “In our strategy to develop and deliver 212Pb Targeted Alpha Therapy for cancer patients, we’re delighted to work with Orbit Discovery and leverage its technology and expertise in peptide ligand discovery to build our pipeline of radiotherapies.”
Orbit Discovery will be attending Boulder Peptide Foundation in California, 18th - 21st September.
