Actinium Pharmaceuticals has entered into a research and option agreement with Astellas to develop Actinium-225 Radio-Conjugates (ARCs) using its Actinium Warhead Enabling (AWE) Platform Technology. Under this collaboration, Actinium will utilize its AWE Platform to conjugate and label selected Astellas targeting agents with the actinium-225 (225Ac) payload. Actinium will also be responsible for conducting preclinical validation studies on the novel ARCs generated. Actinium will receive a seven-digit payment which includes upfront fee and research funding from Astellas.

“We are thrilled to be working with Astellas, a global leader at the forefront of healthcare innovation on this exciting collaboration,” said Dale Ludwig, chief scientific officer, Actinium. “This further showcases the value of Actinium’s AWE technology by enabling biomolecules with the potent cell killing power of 225Ac. Our AWE Platform introduces a novel and complementary mechanism of action which is supported by significant preclinical and clinical data. We are well positioned to execute on this exciting collaboration and look forward to advancing the field of Actinium-225 Radio-Conjugates through this collaboration with Astellas.”

Actinium formally launched its AWE Program in November 2017 to facilitate collaborations and partnerships where the company’s intellectual property, know-how and expertise related to its AWE Platform Technology could be leveraged. This collaboration with Astellas comes on the heels of Actinium’s recent successful demonstration of the capabilities of its AWE Platform Technology where superior celling killing properties of the 225Ac-enabled CD38 targeting blockbuster drug daratumumab or Darzalex was presented in a poster presentation at ASH 2017. Additional data on this ARC will be presented at the upcoming AACR 2018 conference. The AWE Program provides Astellas with access to Actinium’s proprietary ARC technology, its technical know-how, expertise and research infrastructure to enable efficient execution of the collaborative research program.