Telix Joins Thera4Care Initiative to Enhance Theranostic Research

Telix has joined Thera4Care, a collaborative initiative designed to advance theranostics—therapeutic and diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals—across Europe. The Thera4Care project includes 27 partners from leading academic institutions, healthcare facilities, industry stakeholders, and patient advocacy organizations.

The initiative's primary goal is to integrate personalized theranostics into cancer treatment and evaluate innovative methods for targeting metastatic disease within clinical frameworks. Telix's FAP-targeting dimer, DOTAGA.Glu.(FAPi)2, has been chosen for clinical testing alongside terbium-161 (161Tb). This isotope, which emits both beta particles and Auger electrons at short distances, is considered to effectively target micro-metastatic disease while minimizing damage to adjacent healthy tissues. A Phase 1 clinical trial will assess the safety and preliminary activity of 161Tb-DOTAGA.Glu.(FAPi)2 in patients with FAP-expressing metastatic solid tumors, focusing initially on ovarian and pancreatic cancers, as well as sarcomas.

Under the partnership, Telix will engage in preclinical and clinical activities within the consortium, prioritizing the clinical examination of 161Tb-labelled DOTAGA.Glu.(FAPi)2. Additionally, Telix may assist the consortium in preclinical assessments of various other radiopharmaceuticals, including those labeled with scandium-44 (44Sc), copper-64 (64Cu), and copper-67 (67Cu).

David N. Cade, MBBS, Group Chief Medical Officer at Telix, expressed enthusiasm regarding the partnership, recognizing Thera4Care's collaborative efforts to advance theranostics research. He noted that the involvement of Telix's FAPi candidate in this initiative underscores its potential and the scientific interest surrounding it. Data generated through this collaboration will inform future development strategies for this target.

Ken Herrmann, MD, a professor of nuclear medicine at Universitätsklinikum Essen and clinical lead for Thera4Care, highlighted the opportunity to include Telix’s validated FAP-targeting candidate in this expansive clinical research project, noting the unique potential of 161Tb-FAPi in identifying and treating micro-metastatic disease.

Thera4Care engages partners from 14 European nations and the United States, coordinated by the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli in Italy, alongside GE HealthCare as the industry lead. The project is co-funded through the Horizon Europe framework and is part of the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI), a public-private collaboration between the European Union and life science industries in Europe. The Joint Undertaking receives support from the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program, along with contributions from various organizations. More information can be found on the IHI and Thera4Care websites.