Isotope technology firm Eckert & Ziegler said it has signed a contract to manufacture a new pancreatic cancer drug in partnership with a U.S. biotechnology firm.
The new drug combines the benefits of immunotherapy with those of radiotherapy. Antibodies transport a radiation source directly to cancer cells, enabling precise radiation targeting to fight the tumor, Eckert & Ziegler said.
The company's Radiopharma division was chosen as the exclusive manufacturer for the phase III trial of the new treatment in Europe. The agent will be manufactured in Eckert & Ziegler's production location in Braunschweig, Germany, where a radiation specialist will couple the antibodies with the radioisotope yttrium-90 to produce the final active agent, the company said.
Pancreatic cancer is among the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat forms of cancer.
