Novelos Therapeutics has enrolled the first patient in a phase I/II trial of its iodine-124 (I-124) CLR1404 cancer-targeting PET imaging agent for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
The company believes that the small-molecule imaging agent could selectively detect tumors and metastases in a broad range of cancers. It consists of a small, nonpharmacological quantity of CLR1404 (acting as a cancer-targeted delivery and retention vehicle) labeled with the radioisotope I-124.
Phase I/II trials are ongoing and include brain metastases, lung cancer, and other solid tumors starting in the second quarter of this year. If the agent is ultimately successful, Novelos speculated that I-124 CLR1404 could replace FDG as a primary PET imaging agent.
The patient was enrolled at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center in Madison.
