DEP® Radiotheranostics
Starpharma’s DEP® platform is highly versatile, which means it can be applied to a wide range of therapies and types of molecules, including small-molecule drugs, peptides, antibodies, and radioisotopes. This flexibility has allowed Starpharma to extend its research programs and capabilities into the area of radiodiagnostics and radiotherapeutics (radiotheranostics).
Radiodiagnostics is the diagnosis of conditions and diseases using radio technology and X-rays. Radiotherapy is the therapy or treatment of conditions or diseases using X-ray radiation.
Starpharma has a number of programs in the area of DEP® radiotheranostics, involving both DEP® radiodiagnostics and DEP® radiotherapeutics.
Applying Starpharma’s DEP® technology to radiotheranostics has the potential to provide a number of therapeutic and commercial benefits, including:
- Flexible size and structure
- Enhanced tumour accumulation due to enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect
- Enhanced efficacy through tissue targeting and retention due to specific receptor binding
- Reduced off-target toxicities
DEP® HER2-zirconium | Radiodiagnostic
DEP® HER2-zirconium is a pre-clinical-stage radiodiagnostic product designed to specifically diagnose, stage, and monitor HER2-positive (HER2+) cancers with greater sensitivity, meaning patients suffering from these cancers could be diagnosed earlier, more accurately, and monitored more closely during cancer treatment.
DEP® HER2-lutetium | Radiotherapeutic
DEP® HER2-lutetium is a pre-clinical-stage radiotherapeutic product designed to selectively penetrate and accumulate within HER2+ tumours and more effectively deliver radiation to kill tumour cells that may be unreachable by conventional therapies.