Boron neutron capture therapy is being advanced for the treatment of cancer. Credit: felixioncool från Pixabay .
Deerfield Management-founded biotechnology company Aviko Radiopharmaceuticals has announced plans to advance precision boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) to treat cancers and other diseases.
BNCT is a precision medical approach which destroys cancerous cells and reduces the impact on surrounding healthy tissues.
The company has an innovative boron medicines pipeline. These medicines are used along with low-energy, safe neutrons to enable BNCT.
Through establishing collaborations, Aviko aims to build a BNCT treatment ecosystem in the US.
Aviko CEO and Deerfield business development vice-president David Greenwald stated: “In spite of improvements in patient outcomes over the past several decades, there is still a significant need for cancer therapies that effectively target cancer cells while leaving healthy tissue unharmed.
“With Aviko, we are building on generations of innovations in medicinal chemistry, neutron research and biopharmaceutical drug development to realise the potential of BNCT to treat some of the deadliest cancers.”
BNCT begins with the administration of a non-toxic boron medicine to the patient. The medicine accumulates in cancer cells and is quickly cleared from the rest of the body.
The boron medicine stays inert until irradiated by low-energy, safe neutrons at the location of the tumour, releasing alpha particles that damage the cancerous cells selectively.
The Japanese Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency has approved BNCT to treat unresectable advanced or recurrent head and neck cancer.
Additional clinical research on BNCT is being conducted in Asia and the EU.