WEST CHESTER, PA — Molecular Targeting Technologies, Inc. secured a $3.17 million, five-year National Cancer Institute grant to advance an experimental radiopharmaceutical toward potential clinical testing in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, expanding the West Chester company’s oncology pipeline beyond its lead clinical program.
The grant, R01CA299133, will fund preclinical research, drug manufacturing, regulatory preparation and planning for clinical studies of ¹⁷⁷Lu-EBRGD. The investigational therapy targets integrin αvβ3, a cell-surface receptor associated with tumor biology and angiogenesis.
MTTI plans to use the NCI funding to study the drug candidate’s tumor targeting, biodistribution, pharmacokinetics, dosimetry, antitumor activity and normal-tissue toxicity.
The program will also support development and manufacturing under applicable current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements and preparation of scientific and manufacturing documentation toward a potential Investigational New Drug application.
Clinical development work will focus on preparing for studies in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer following first-line systemic therapy. Any clinical testing would remain subject to regulatory authorization and clinical and operational readiness.
¹⁷⁷Lu-EBRGD is based on MTTI’s EvaThera platform, which uses Evans Blue-based reversible albumin binding to modify the circulation and tissue distribution of targeted molecules.
Published preclinical research involving Evans Blue-modified RGD radiopharmaceuticals, including studies using patient-derived xenograft models of non-small cell lung cancer, has reported greater tumor accumulation and retention than non-albumin-binding comparators, along with tumor-growth inhibition in experimental models. Those findings do not establish safety or efficacy in patients.
“This support will advance ¹⁷⁷Lu-EBRGD toward clinical evaluation and extend our platform into integrin αvβ3-targeted radiopharmaceutical development,” MTTI Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Chris Pak, the grant’s principal investigator, said.
MTTI’s lead clinical program, ¹⁷⁷Lu-EBTATE, targets somatostatin receptor 2 for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.
The company is also planning programs targeting fibroblast activation protein and gastrin-releasing peptide receptor through EB-FAPI and EB-GRPR, respectively. Its broader research strategy includes evaluating both lutetium-177 and actinium-225 within the EvaThera platform.
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