Melbourne - Telix has secured an exclusive Intellectual Property licence agreement with the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) for a novel imaging technology in the field of image-guided surgery for prostate cancer.
Telix Pharmaceuticals is pleased to announce it has entered into an exclusive Intellectual Property (IP) licence agreement with the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum or 'DKFZ') for a novel imaging technology in the field of image-guided surgery for prostate cancer.
The licence agreement is the result of Telix exercising its option under a research collaboration agreement entered into with the DKFZ in August 2019.
This innovative technology involves the use of a 'dual-labelled' prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeting molecule that comprises both a radioactive isotope (68Ga) and a fluorescent dye. The resulting imaging agent is able to simultaneously provide both pre-operative imaging of prostate cancer patients with Positron Emission Tomography (PET), as well as highly accurate intra-operative visual (fluorescent) localisation of prostate cancer tissue in real-time by the surgeon.
Telix Pharmaceuticals CEO, Dr. Chris Behrenbruch stated 'Robotic surgery delivers over seven million procedures a year globally and already makes extensive use of intra-operative fluorescent imaging. Bringing molecular imaging into the operating theatre is a natural evolution of Telix's existing commitment to prostate cancer imaging. Our colleagues at the DKFZ have been acknowledged as world leaders in the field of prostate cancer imaging and we are delighted to be further expanding our prostate cancer imaging capability with this excellent technology.'
Telix intends to develop this technology as part of the life-cycle management for TLX591-CDx, for which Telix filed a NDA in the United States in September and a MAA in Europe in April this year.3 The technology has already commenced human studies in Europe and Telix expects to commence Company sponsored clinical studies in 2H, 2021. Under the terms of the agreement, Telix is obliged to pay development milestones and royalties on product sales.
About Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with an estimated 192,000 new cases and 33,000 deaths from prostate cancer in the United States expected in 2020.4 Prostate cancer is more common in older men, with approximately 60% of cases diagnosed in men over 65 years of age. Due to high rates of screening, over 90% of prostate cancers are diagnosed early, when the disease is localised to the prostate or nearby tissues. Both surgery and radiation therapy are effective treatment options for men with localised prostate cancer, offering 5-year survival rates over 95%.
About Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited
Telix is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of diagnostic and therapeutic products using Molecularly Targeted Radiation (MTR). Telix is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia with international operations in Belgium, Japan and the United States. Telix is developing a portfolio of clinical-stage oncology products that address significant unmet medical needs in prostate, kidney and brain cancer. Telix is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: TLX).
About the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
More than 450,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year in Germany. Cancer is a disease that poses enormous challenges to research, because every cancer is different and its course can vary immensely even from one patient to the next. To perform research into cancer is the task of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) according to its statutes. DKFZ is the largest biomedical research institute in Germany and a member of the Helmholtz Association of National Research Centers. In over 90 divisions and research groups, our more than 3,000 employees, of which more than 1,200 are scientists, are investigating the mechanisms of cancer, are identifying cancer risk factors and are trying to find strategies to prevent people from getting cancer. They are developing novel approaches to make tumor diagnosis more precise and treatment of cancer patients more successful.
Contact:
Dr Christian Behrenbruch
Email: chris@telixpharma.com
TELIX PHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED 
