Luncheon – The Power of Alpha: New Therapies for Cancer Patients?
Luncheon – The Power of Alpha: New Therapies for Cancer Patients?
A sponsored luncheon program offered by Bayer
Advanced registration required.
Even though 70 new therapies have been launched during the past five years, cancer is still the second leading cause of death worldwide, with a high unmet medical need.
For many cancer types, chemotherapy is one treatment option but is often ineffective, lacks long-term response, or is highly toxic. A new approach could help overcome the defenses of the cancer cells in tumors using localized and targeted alpha-particle radiation. An alpha-particle emitting radionuclide is guided through the body until it reaches its targeted site of action and releases tumor-destroying alpha particles at that specific location. This novel approach – called Targeted Alpha Therapy – is a source of new hope for patients with prostate, breast, and other cancers.
Radium-223 dichloride (radium-223) is one example and the first and only approved Targeted Alpha Therapy. Radium-223 mimics calcium and selectively targets bone, specifically areas of bone metastases. Emitted alpha particles in the tumor microenvironment at the bone interface lead to double-strand DNA breaks in adjacent cells, resulting in a potent cytotoxic effect. Scientists at Bayer also work with thorium-227, another alpha-particle emitting radionuclide. The thorium radionuclide is attached to an antibody, which in turn recognizes its specific antigen on the surface of the tumor cell. The thorium-labeled antibody docks with high affinity, delivering the radioisotope and radiotherapy directly to the site of the tumor, even when outside the bone compartment.
We look forward to seeing you at this luncheon! You will learn more about the science behind radium-223 and thorium-227 as key Targeted Alpha Therapy radionuclides, the challenges of manufacturing and logistics, as well as the future of Targeted Alpha Therapies. Registration is required.