Archeus Technologies and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) have announced a strategic collaboration to advance ART-101, a promising next-generation radiopharmaceutical therapy, into clinical development for prostate cancer treatment. The partnership will lead to Phase 1 clinical trials beginning in 2025, marking a significant milestone for this novel receptor-based targeting molecule.
Enhanced Preclinical Performance Over Current Standards
ART-101 has demonstrated compelling advantages over existing treatments in preclinical studies. The molecule showed significantly higher tumor uptake and retention relative to Pluvicto (177Lu-PSMA-617), the FDA-approved prostate cancer treatment currently considered standard of care. Additionally, ART-101 exhibited superior pharmacokinetics, dosimetry, and normal tissue toxicity profiles compared to current therapeutic options.
The radiopharmaceutical agent is designed as a prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeting small molecule with the potential to deliver alpha-emitting isotopes with greater tolerability than current standards of care. This enhanced tolerability profile could represent a significant advancement in patient care, particularly for those with advanced disease.
University of Wisconsin Research Foundation
ART-101 was discovered and developed at the Advanced Radiotheranostics Lab at UW-Madison under the leadership of Dr. Reinier Hernandez, assistant professor of medical physics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. The development received robust support from WARF through the WARF Accelerator program, which helps inventors advance commercially viable technologies and breakthrough discoveries.
"WARF is committed to investing in cutting-edge technologies and therapeutic candidates, like ART-101, that have significant potential to advance the theranostics landscape as well as treatment options for patients in need," said Jeanine Burmania, senior director of intellectual property and licensing at WARF. "Encouraging preclinical data suggest that ART-101 could help increase lifespan and be more effective in treating prostate cancer than current therapies."
Multi-Isotope Compatibility and Therapeutic Potential
A key advantage of ART-101 lies in its compatibility with multiple therapeutic isotopes, including actinium-225, lutetium-177, and terbium-161. When paired with these isotopes, preclinical data demonstrate that ART-101 provides significant potential benefit that could lead to improved outcomes for prostate cancer patients. This flexibility in isotope selection may allow for personalized treatment approaches based on individual patient needs and disease characteristics.
Clinical Development Strategy
Archeus Technologies will lead the Phase 1 clinical development of ART-101 under the collaboration agreement with WARF. The company's leadership emphasizes their unique positioning to advance this asset through clinical translation.
"With strong preclinical data supporting the continued development of ART-101, Archeus is eager to lead the evaluation of this novel candidate through first-in-human studies," said Evan Sengbusch, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Archeus Technologies. "Leveraging our team's proven experience ushering new radiopharmaceutical agents from concept through clinical translation, paired with our close collaboration with UW as a world-class radiopharmaceutical research organization, Archeus is uniquely positioned to progress ART-101 into the next stage of development."
The addition of ART-101 expands Archeus Technologies' Phase 1-ready portfolio of differentiated radiopharmaceutical therapies designed to provide curative responses to cancers that are particularly challenging to treat. The company maintains a long-standing strategic collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, recognized as a global leader in radiopharmaceuticals and theranostics.
Advancing Theranostics for Cancer Treatment
The development of ART-101 represents progress in the field of theranostics, an approach that combines diagnostics and therapeutics, typically using radioactive drugs to both find and treat cancer. This integrated approach allows for more precise targeting of cancer cells while potentially reducing damage to healthy tissue.
The collaboration between Archeus Technologies and WARF exemplifies the translation of academic research into potential clinical applications, with the goal of bringing innovative treatments to patients with advanced prostate cancer who may have limited therapeutic options with current standard-of-care treatments.
