Starget Pharma, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based clinical stage biotechnology company developing precision peptide radioligand therapies, received a $5.1m investment from Cancer Focus Fund.
The company intends to use the funds to conduct a Phase 1b clinical trial of its lead theranostic, DOTA-PTR-58.
Led by CEO Sigal Kalmanson Cusnir, Starget Pharma is a clinical stage company developing a pipeline of radiotherapy programs generated using its proprietary Backbone Dynamics peptide platform that leverages backbone cyclic innovations and in-silico AI to rapidly design highly specific Smart Targeted Radioligands (STRs) that deliver focused radiation for the imaging and treatment of cancer.
These STR’s are designed to engage novel and validated tumor-specific targets with either alpha or beta isotopes. Its lead program targets SSTR-3, a somatostatin receptor that is overexpressed in tumor cells compared to healthy tissues and has enhanced cell internalization compared to other tumor targets. First-in-human data has demonstrated promising safety and good tumor uptake. A Phase 1b trial is expected to begin in early 2025 at MD Anderson and other centers.
Beyond its lead program, the company has a pipeline encompassing novel tumor targets and isotopes, offering potential for a variety of metastatic cancers.
FinSMEs
28/10/2024