• 20 May 2024
• Admin
• News Article

Bayer Initiates Phase I Study with Novel Targeted Radionuclide Therapy 225ac-Psma-Trillium

Bayer initiates phase I study with novel targeted radionuclide therapy 225Ac-PSMA-Trillium in advanced metastatic prostate cancer

Overview

Bayer announced initiation of dosing in a phase I first-in-human clinical study with 225Ac-PSMA-Trillium (BAY 3563254), a next-generation targeted alpha therapy. The investigational candidate, labelled with actinium-225 and comprising a novel PSMA (prostate-specific membrane antigen) - targeting small molecule with a customized albumin-binding moiety, is designed to improve therapeutic efficacy and reduce side effects in normal organs such as salivary glands. The dose-escalation study (NCT06217822) will evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of 225Ac-PSMA-Trillium in patients with advanced metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

Words from MD: CHUM

• “Despite recent advances in the treatment landscape for prostate cancer, there is still a high unmet need for novel precision therapy options to improve outcomes for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer,” said Fred Saad, MD, FRCS, Professor and chairman of Surgery at University of Montreal and Director of Genitourinary Oncology at University of Montreal Hospital Center (CHUM), Canada. 
• “225Ac-PSMA-Trillium is a novel approach, which could provide a new treatment to address this unmet need in mCRPC.”

Words from MD: Bayer

• “Targeted radionuclide therapy is a strategic pillar of precision oncology at Bayer, holding the promise to shift the treatment paradigm for patients, including those whose disease has developed resistance to other treatments,” said Dominik Ruettinger, M.D., Ph.D., head of research and early development for oncology at Bayer. 
• “We are excited to announce initiation of the phase I and dosing of the first patient with 225Ac-PSMA-Trillium. With its unique design, we believe it could offer a meaningful benefit for patients with metastatic prostate cancer, and we look forward to advancing the programme through clinical development.”

Prostate Cancer

• Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and a key area of focus at Bayer. 
• Despite significant advances in the last decade, mCRPC remains a deadly disease with a median survival of about 31 months. 
• Bayer remains committed to advancing medical innovations for patients across all stages of prostate cancer. 
• The company’s franchise includes two products on the market (Nubeqa and Xofigo) and several compounds in development, including 225Ac-pelgifatamab (BAY 3546828), an actinium-225-labeled PSMA-targeted antibody conjugate, in phase I.

225Ac-PSMA-Trillium

• In April, Bayer introduced 225Ac-PSMA-Trillium during the New Drugs on the Horizon session at the AACR (American Association of Cancer Research) Annual Meeting. 
• Along with preclinical in vitro and in vivo characterization, the results were presented for a phase 0 clinical imaging and dosimetry study conducted in participants with prostate cancer.

Targeted Alpha Therapy

• Targeted alpha therapy is an emerging class of radionuclide therapy that can be used against a variety of tumours. 
• It delivers alpha particle radiation directly to the tumour inside the body, either via its bone-seeking property (radium-223) or by combining alpha radionuclides, such as actinium-225, with specific targeting moieties. 
• Compared to beta particles, alpha particles deposit highly ionizing radiation over a short range.
• This localized delivery of the radioactive payload induces difficult to repair double-strand DNA breaks in tumour cells; damage that can cause cell cycle arrest or cell death. 
• At the same time, because the energy does not travel very far, there is a potential for reduced damage to nearby normal tissues. 
• Xofigo (radium-223 dichloride, radium-223) is the first approved targeted alpha therapy proven to extend the lives of men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) with bone metastases and the first approved targeted radionuclide therapy for prostate cancer.