Swiss biotech Nuclidium has closed a $99 million Series B financing round to advance its differentiated copper-based radiopharmaceutical platform, positioning the company to challenge established players in the rapidly growing radiotheranostics market.
The Basel and Munich-based company is pursuing a novel approach in the radiopharma space by utilizing copper isotopes rather than the actinium or lutetium-based payloads favored by most competitors. According to Nuclidium, copper-based radiopharmaceutical agents can deliver higher therapeutic doses per tumor volume while carrying a lower overall radiation burden, making them safer for patients.
Manufacturing and Operational Advantages
Nuclidium's copper platform offers significant manufacturing benefits over existing radiopharmaceutical approaches. The company reports that copper-based agents are easier to manufacture using affordable and accessible raw materials, generate a lower burden of radioactive waste, and eliminate the need for nuclear reactor infrastructure.
"Our copper-based radiotheranostics are designed for seamless integration into hospital workflows, patient care, and waste management – which is essential to improving global access to radiotheranostics," said Dr. Leila Jaafar, CEO and co-founder of Nuclidium.
The formulation process takes just five minutes at room temperature under standard shielding conditions, with the half-life of copper providing an optimal match for tumor retention time within 24 to 48 hours. Importantly, copper-67 decays into a stable isotope that can be conventionally disposed of, addressing waste management concerns.
Clinical Progress and Pipeline Development
Nuclidium's most advanced program, NuriPro, targets metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer using both diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Phase I data demonstrated that NuriPro, when used as an imaging agent for positron emission tomography, detected additional lesions in 50% of patients that were not visible on 18F-piflufolastat-based scans. The copper-based tracer also visualized more lesions than standard agents up to four hours after administration.
The diagnostic application of NuriPro has completed Phase I development, while its therapeutic application is preparing to enter early-stage studies. The company also operates a breast cancer program called TraceNET, currently in mid-stage development for diagnostic applications and about to enter Phase I for therapeutic uses.
Initial clinical results across both programs have shown superior lesion detection and higher tumor-to-background ratios compared to approved tracers, with Nuclidium reporting "strong" tumor-to-background ratios for both NuriPro and TraceNET therapeutic applications.
Investment and Market Position
The Series B round was led by Kurma Growth Opportunities Fund and Angelini Ventures, alongside Wellington Partners and Neva SGR. Additional institutional investors including DeepTech & Climate Fonds, Bayern Kapital, and HighLight Capital participated in the financing.
Dr. Daniel Parera of Kurma Partners emphasized Nuclidium's unique market position, noting that only Clarity globally is also pursuing copper isotope development. "Nuclidium's platform is uniquely positioned in a fast-evolving landscape and will redefine how radiotheranostics are deployed in the future," Parera stated.
The simplified logistics and supply chain associated with copper isotopes represent a key competitive advantage, particularly as some radiopharmaceutical companies face challenges with unreliable supply chains beyond their control.
Expanding Development Pipeline
Nuclidium's differentiated platform links tumor-specific targeting molecules with copper isotopes, using copper-61 for diagnostics and copper-67 for therapy. The company plans to leverage the funding to advance lead compounds into next clinical phases for diagnosing and treating metastatic prostate cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, and breast cancer.
The financing will also support scaling of Nuclidium's global production and manufacturing infrastructure, with the company expanding its Munich operations backed by institutional investors from Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia.
