Dow and Cytogen Agree to Develop PSMA Antibody for Treatment of Cancer

12-May-2005

Cytogen Corporation and DowpharmaSM contract manufacturing services, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, announced a collaboration to create a targeted oncology product designed to treat prostate and other cancers. Under the agreement, Dowpharma's proprietary MeO-DOTA bifunctional chelant technology will be used to radiolabel Cytogen's prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) antibody with a therapeutic radionuclide. PSMA is a protein highly expressed on the surface of prostate cancer cells and the neovasculature of many solid tumors.

Under the agreement, proprietary chelation technology and other capabilities, provided through ChelaMedSM radiopharmaceutical services from Dowpharma, will be used to attach a therapeutic radioisotope to the same murine monoclonal antibody utilized in Cytogen's PROSTASCINT® (capromab pendetide) molecular imaging agent. This antibody, called 7E11-C5.3 (or 7E11), is directed against an intracellular epitope of PSMA. The 7E11 antibody was excluded from the PSMA technology licensed to the PSMA Development Company LLC, the Company's joint venture for PSMA product development. Consequently, the joint venture is not involved in this development initiative.

Dowpharma's MeO-DOTA bifunctional chelant will be utilized to attach the beta emitting radionuclide lutetium-177 as a payload to the 7E11 antibody, enabling targeted delivery of this cytotoxic agent. The Company intends to develop the resulting innovative molecule for the treatment of various cancers, initially in prostate, that express the PSMA marker.

Cytogen's PROSTASCINT molecular imaging agent is the first and only commercial product targeting PSMA. PROSTASCINT consists of the 7E11 monoclonal antibody directed against PSMA that is linked to the radioisotope Indium-111. Due to the selective expression of PSMA, the PROSTASCINT molecular imaging procedure can detect the extent and spread of prostate cancer using a standard gamma camera. Clinical studies have demonstrated that overexpression of PSMA determined by immunohistochemical staining using 7E11 in primary prostate cancer not only correlates with other adverse traditional prognostic factors, but can independently predict disease recurrence.

https://www.bionity.com/en/news/45873/dow-and-cytogen-agree-to-develop-psma-antibody-for-treatment-of-cancer.html