A decade ago, it was claimed that alpha-emitters are indispensable when it comes to optimisation of strategies for tumour therapy. Over time, this robust statement has become increasingly relevant, which has resulted in research aiming to develop alpha therapy which can be used in the clinic to substantially improve outcomes for cancer patients. This is exactly what healthcare entrepreneur Jan van Bodegom, MD will present at the 3^rd Annual Targeted Radiopharmaceuticals (TRP) Summit in Berlin between 7 and 9 December 2021. A must for anyone interested in nuclear medicine and/or oncology with a focus on truly innovative therapies.

Van Bodegom himself is no stranger to innovation; in 2013, he founded the first breast cancer hospital in Europe. As an oncologic surgeon, he wanted patients to experience the best possible care, which is why he built the Alexander Monro Hospital, serving as its director. “A tremendously educational time”, he recalls. When he left the hospital after five years, he co-founded the first focus clinic for prostate cancer in Delft (the Reinier Haga Prostate Cancer Center). He also aided hospitals in building a better culture.

Then another opportunity presented itself to van Bodegom. “The Swiss company Coretag Therapeutics AG contacted me; they were looking for an experienced oncologic medical doctor with proven entrepreneurial skills to become part in building a new Targeted Radio Pharmaceutical company to bring their high potential necrosis targeting platform to the patients. Necrosis targeting is a novel approach in addition to existing therapies, which works by attacking surrounding living cancer cells from the necrotic cores and cells (these are especially present in malignancies) instead of attacking a specific type of cancer cell.” This idea appealed to van Bodegom; he saw the immense potential of this method and decided to join Coretag where he now serves as CMO.

He thoroughly enjoys being part of a dynamic development process: “It all started from scratch; originating from a patented concept based on animal studies to developing medicines which become available for humans.” This process is long and includes various steps. Van Bodegom explains that besides utilising beta emitters like ¹⁷⁷Lu attacking surrounding cancer tissue, cancer stem cells are holding up in necrotic regions of the tumor and play an important role in recurrence.  “Chemotherapy and radiotherapy cannot reach these regions. So particularly in necrosis, alpha emitters are of additional value. When Coretag considered using ²¹²Pb as an alpha emitter, NRG came into the picture. Based on the favourable properties of ²¹²Pb, Coretag decided to establish a new company, Alphathera AG, which is focussing on developing targeting alpha therapies by combining different targeting compounds with ²¹²Pb in partnership with NRG as a steady supplier of ²¹²Pb by gearing up the production in 2022 onwards.”

Van Bodegom will be presenting two sessions at the TRP summit:

Coretag, introducing its necrosis targeting platform technology

Jan van Bodegom will introduce the new diagnostics of Coretag for staging cancer and determining cancer therapy efficacy based on the Necrosis Targeting Platform Technology. He will also present the therapeutical ambition of treating cancer with beta and alpha emitters targeting necrosis in solid tumours and metastases.

Alphathera, accelerator for lead-212 targeting alpha therapies

Radiopharmaceuticals have the unique advantage of being both diagnostic and therapeutic. Coretag aims to select biologically relevant, tumor specific targets suitable for targeted radiotherapy with ²¹²Pb alpha therapy. These targets have a high expression on solid tumors with little to no expression on normal tissues. Many tumor targets have already been clinically validated but have yet to be pursued as radiopharmaceutical with ²¹²Pb. Alphathera aims to build a pipeline for the development of different therapies based on different proven solid tumor specific targets.