SK Biopharm said on the 2nd that it signed a contract to procure actinium-225 (225Ac) from Eckert & Ziegler, a Germany-based radioisotope (RI) specialist with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification.
The company said the deal will allow SK Biopharm to build a supply chain for actinium-225 in Europe and establish a stable development environment for radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT).
Actinium-225 is a key raw material for RPT, a next-generation cancer treatment that is drawing attention for its strong cancer cell killing power and relatively few side effects. However, global production is extremely limited, making the stable procurement of raw materials a crucial factor for successful RPT development.
The company said the contract is significant because it secures an independent supplier in Europe, moving beyond the existing North America-centered supply-demand structure and greatly strengthening the supply stability of the scarce raw material actinium-225.
SK Biopharm plans to accelerate research and development in RPT based on a stable supply of actinium-225. The company is expanding its RPT pipeline and strengthening its capabilities to develop next-generation cancer treatments by pursuing internal research projects in parallel with an inorganic growth strategy.
On the 1st last year, it introduced "SKL35501," the first RPT candidate, from Full-Life Technologies and is preparing to submit an investigational new drug (IND) application to enter a phase 1 clinical trial. Recently, it further diversified its research portfolio by additionally introducing a second candidate, "WT-7695," from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF).
Eckert & Ziegler CEO Dr. Harald Hasselmann said, "We are very pleased to supply GMP-certified actinium-225 for SK Biopharm's preclinical and clinical programs," and added, "Actinium-225 is one of the essential core RIs for next-generation RPT development, and we are honored to contribute to advances in cancer treatment."