Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) and Crown Bioscience have formed a strategic global partnership to deliver an integrated translational biology platform for innovators developing radiopharmaceuticals.
Radiopharmaceuticals are a new and growing class of medicines that contain radioactive forms of chemical elements (radioisotopes) that effectively diagnose and treat cancers.
Radiopharmaceuticals deliver therapeutic radiation directly to tumours, offering more precise targeting, improved efficacy and reduced side effects.
They can also serve as radioactive tracers in medical imaging, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and providing detailed insights for improving patient diagnosis.
The global collaboration between MDC and Crown Bioscience supports companies across the radiopharmaceutical pipeline.
By combining their expertise and technology platforms, the partnership offers life sciences companies an integrated, clinically relevant platform to evaluate radiopharmaceutical therapies.
MDC contributes cutting-edge capabilities in cell biology, high-resolution microscopy, radiochemistry, preclinical imaging, mass spectrometry and multiomic tissue analysis, enabling comprehensive assessment of radiopharmaceutical assets.
The collaboration allows reliable and fast testing of how radiopharmaceuticals work, the body's responses to them and how effective they are – all critical factors in identifying viable drug candidates early and reducing clinical development risk.
Leveraging their combined expertise, MDC and Crown Bioscience will deliver preclinical comparator studies using approved standards of care, boosting regulatory confidence and supporting successful Investigational New Drug submissions.
Together, the companies will provide a fully integrated preclinical workflow for companies developing radiotherapeutics.
By delivering more efficient studies, generating high-quality translational data and supporting precision medicine strategies, the collaboration will accelerate radiopharmaceutical drug development.
Dr Francesca Sadler, Chief Commercial Officer at MDC, said: “MDC operates an advanced preclinical drug discovery facility, including world-class radiochemistry capabilities and a translational suite of imaging technologies, to support the growing demand for novel radiopharmaceuticals."
“Our partnership with Crown Bioscience means MDC can expand its current end-to-end translational biology offering even further."
"Combining the expertise of our two organisations provides a comprehensive platform for drug innovators developing radiopharmaceuticals, helping to accelerate the progress of these novel medicines that have the potential to transform patient outcomes.”
John Gu, Chief Executive Officer at Crown Bioscience, said: “Advanced radiopharmaceuticals are poised to redefine how we treat cancer, but their successful development requires translational platforms that are both scientifically rigorous and clinically relevant."
"By combining MDC’s radiochemistry and imaging capabilities with Crown Bioscience’s preclinical oncology expertise, we are creating a truly integrated solution for innovators in this field."
"This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to accelerating the delivery of next-generation targeted therapies to patients worldwide.”