Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) has today announced its strategic partnership with Champions Oncology to accelerate the development of radiopharmaceutical therapeutics for cancer.
Radiopharmaceuticals can be used as radioactive tracers in medical imaging to help improve disease diagnosis. They can also deliver radiation therapy directly to cancer cells.
Champions Oncology is a US-based global provider of preclinical and clinical research services and a leader in the development of advanced preclinical oncology solutions.
The partnership will combine MDC’s translational imaging expertise with Champions Oncology’s portfolio of cutting-edge patient-derived tumour models and pharmacology solutions. By working together, the organisations aim to advance the development of targeted radionuclide therapies (which use radiopharmaceuticals to treat medical conditions), bringing new hope to cancer patients undergoing treatment.
The collaboration will leverage the clinical and biological relevance of Champions Oncology’s tissue models, which are renowned for their proven predictive therapeutic outcomes. MDC’s imaging and radiochemistry expertise will provide a comprehensive translational platform for testing experimental radiopharmaceutical agents used to diagnose and treat diseases.
Dr Juliana Maynard, Head of Translational Imaging at Medicines Discovery Catapult, said:
“MDC is pleased to formalise our strategic collaboration with Champions Oncology. This partnership will play a vital role in supporting advances in transformative drug discovery for patient benefit. By harnessing MDC’s expertise, together we will accelerate radiopharmaceutical therapeutic development in this crucial area of medicines discovery.”
Ronnie Morris, MD CEO of Champions Oncology, said:
“Recent mergers and acquisitions have spotlighted radioligand therapies as one of the fastest-growing modalities in oncology. We are committed to advancing this field, currently limited by the lack of combined specialised expertise in radioligand therapies and access to clinically relevant models. Through this partnership we are positioned to enable significant advancement in the radiopharmaceutical space.”
