Lantheus Medical Imaging parent company Lantheus Holdings said it has purchased the rights to NTI-1309, a PET oncology imaging agent being developed by Noria Therapeutics.
NTI-1309 targets fibroblast activation protein (FAP), which has broad potential imaging applicability and implications for cancer targeting in oncology, according to Lantheus. FAP is overexpressed in the tumor microenvironment, specifically in tumor-associated fibroblasts that are believed to modulate tumor progression and immune response, Lantheus said.
Lantheus will have exclusive, worldwide rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize NTI-1309. In exchange, the company will pay an upfront license and development fee to Noria, as well as royalties if NTI-1309 is commercialized.
Under the terms of the deal, Noria will be responsible for the early clinical development of NTI-1309. After completion of the phase I study, NTI-1309 will then be integrated into Lantheus' portfolio of imaging biomarkers and offered to academic centers and pharmaceutical companies for use in oncology drug development programs, according to the vendor.
Lantheus said it will also simultaneously assess options for bringing the biomarker to market via its own sponsored trials.
