Defence Therapeutics partners with Orano for Advanced Cancer Radio-Immunotherapy

Vancouver-based Defence Therapeutics Inc. announced a collaboration with France's Orano Support SAS to develop a pioneering Radio-Immuno-Conjugate (RIC) for targeted cancer treatment. This next-generation RIC leverages an antibody to direct radioactivity specifically to cancer cells and applies Defence’s Accum® technology for enhanced nuclear accumulation and efficacy.

The project focuses on Auger electron (AE) emitters, promising radionuclides with short pathlength radiation that minimize damage to healthy tissues. Accum® variants developed by Defence can circumvent challenges such as endosomal sequestration to increase RIC efficacy.

Defence has successfully developed and patented Accum® variant peptides, demonstrated their conjugation capabilities, and secured preclinical studies at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories. This partnership aims to open new avenues in cancer therapy using AE emitter radionuclides.