Bayer announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Noria Therapeutics (Noria) and PSMA Therapeutics. Through this acquisition, Bayer will obtain exclusive rights to a differentiated alpha radionuclide investigational compound based on actinium-225 and a small molecule directed towards prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA).

The acquisition broadens Bayer’s existing oncology portfolio of targeted alpha therapies (TATs), which currently includes Xofigo (radium Ra 223 dichloride), which is approved for metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) with symptomatic bone metastases and no known visceral metastases, and the proprietary platform of investigational TATs based on thorium-227.

The pre-IND programme focuses on the treatment of prostate cancer, the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in men.

“Bayer is focused on addressing the various medical needs of cancer patients, providing treatments that have the potential to improve patient outcomes throughout the different stages of the disease,” said Robert LaCaze, member of the executive committee of the pharmaceuticals division and head of the oncology strategic business unit at Bayer. “This acquisition is another important milestone in enhancing Bayer’s oncology portfolio through both in-house expertise and strategic collaborations and agreements.”

“Weill Cornell Medicine is committed to bringing our faculty’s innovations to market so that patients can benefit from the latest therapeutics,” said Dr. Lisa Placanica, senior managing director center for technology licensing at Weill Cornell Medicine. “Bayer’s acquisition of Noria and PSMA Therapeutics which have nurtured Dr. Babich’s radiopharmaceutical and diagnostic technology is an important milestone in drug development, and we look forward to the advances this collaboration can make to enhance prostate cancer therapies.”

With the first and only approved targeted alpha therapy Xofigo, Bayer has successfully established Xofigo as a TAT for men with mCRPC, symptomatic bone metastases and no known visceral metastases. Adding actinium-225-labeled small molecule to the company’s platform of investigational targeted thorium conjugates, supports our commitment to researching differentiated treatment options for cancer patients.

“Despite increased cancer survivorship overall, there continues to be a significant unmet need in oncology,” said Marianne De Backer, MBA, PhD, member of the executive committee of the pharmaceuticals division and head strategy and business development & licensing at Bayer. “We remain committed to exploring collaborations for innovative and pioneering scientific research for patients with unmet needs.”

Targeted Alpha Therapies (TAT) is a class of radionuclide compounds being studied in various difficult to treat tumors. They deliver alpha radiation to tumors inside the body either via their bone-seeking property (radium-223) or by combining alpha radionuclides, such as, actinium-225 or thorium-227, with specific moieties.

Bayer’s Xofigo (radium Ra 223 dichloride) is the first and only approved TAT. Xofigo is indicated for the treatment of patients with mCRPC, symptomatic bone metastases and no known visceral metastatic disease; more than 76,000 patients have been treated since launch. Xofigo is currently under further evaluation in a broad clinical development program in prostate cancer and beyond.

With its proprietary platform of investigational targeted thorium conjugates (TTC), Bayer is advancing a series of drug candidates with potential across multiple cancers that are currently underserved by available treatment options. PSMA-TTC, which is combining a prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeting antibody with thorium-227, is a leading TTC project at Bayer. It is currently in phase I clinical evaluation in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. PSMA is highly expressed on the surface of prostate cancer cells and has been demonstrated to be a validated target for precision anti-cancer drugs. With this acquisition, Bayer broadens its existing TAT development portfolio by adding an actinium-labeled PSMA-targeted alpha therapy. It is planned to be developed as a novel treatment option across multiple stages of prostate cancer..