Orano Med, a biotechnology company developing Lead-212 (212Pb) targeted alpha therapy against cancer, and Orbit Discovery, a company discovering therapeutic peptide hits, have entered into a collaboration to discover specific peptide receptor radionuclide therapies (PRRT) against cancer cells and advance the development of novel radiopharmaceuticals.
Under the terms of the agreement, Orbit will deploy its bead-based peptide display engine to discover peptide leads specific to targets related to specific tumours.
Radioligand therapies
Radioligand therapies rely on a simple concept: combining the ability of biological molecules such as peptides to target cancer cells with the short-range cell-killing capabilities of radioisotopes. This approach results in an increased cytotoxic potential toward cancer cells while limiting toxicity to nearby healthy cells. It opens new perspectives for patients with difficult to treat cancers and the global market of targeted radiotherapies is expected to grow at a CAGR of 30% between 2023 and 2030.
The collaboration will harness the capabilities of Orbit’s peptide display engine to identify peptide candidates specific to tumour-associated targets. The technology enables the screening of large peptide collections through the combination of DNA encoded libraries and bead-based presentation. Orbit’s peptide display engine is equipped to address soluble targets and targets in situ, both on and in cells, allowing for faster discovery times of relevant peptide leads based on affinity screens and/or functional screens. Orano Med will focus on subsequent development of the peptides for clinical use after conjugation with lead-212.
