French molecular imaging firm Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA) has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Johns Hopkins University to develop and market a new radiopharmaceutical for prostate applications.
AAA is developing PSMA-SR6, a receptor ligand of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) for clinical therapeutic and diagnostic purposes related to prostate cancer. The company hopes to develop a diagnostic agent labeled with gallium-68 and a therapeutic version labeled with lutetium-177.
AAA plans to start a proof-of-concept study in humans for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications of PSMA-SR6 as soon as this year. PSMA-SR6 was developed by Dr. Martin Pomper, PhD, at Johns Hopkins.
Terms of the agreement include payment to Johns Hopkins of an upfront licensing fee, as well as certain milestone and royalty payments.
