Full phase II results of uPAR-PET in glioblastoma published
Curasight has published the full data from an investigator-initiated phase II trial evaluating its uTRACE imaging technology in brain cancer patients in the peer-reviewed journal EJNMMI Research. The results – which were first reported in connection with an oral presentation at a conference last year – supports the strategy to develop uTRACE and the therapeutic uTREAT in parallel.
Curasight, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, has gained recognition for its imaging technology to improve cancer diagnostics and targeted treatment. The company’s technology leverages a molecular target known as urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR), which is involved in cancer growth and metastasis. By targeting this receptor, the PET-tracer ligand uTRACE and the radioligand therapy uTREAT serve as non-invasive tools to localize, evaluate, and treat multiple types of cancer.
For uTRACE, the company has a plethora of phase II data from investigator-initiated studies showing its potential. In the phase II brain cancer study published in the peer-reviewed EJNMMI Research journal, researchers examined the effectiveness of uTRACE imaging in a cohort of glioblastoma patients. Conducted at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, the trial aimed to evaluate uTRACEs ability to identify high-risk brain tumor tissue, which could potentially guide surgical and therapeutic decisions.
Glioblastoma is particularly difficult to treat due to its aggressive nature and tumor cells’ tendency to infiltrate surrounding brain tissue, making precise imaging a crucial tool. The trial outcomes indicate that uTRACE effectively differentiates between active tumor regions and healthy tissue, underscoring its potential as a diagnostic aid in glioblastoma management.
High value diagnostics
Of the 24 patients evaluated, 67 percent were diagnosed with WHO grade 4 gliomas, 25 percent with grade 3, and 8 percent with grade 2. Nearly all grade 4 glioma cases exhibited uPAR positivity. After a median follow-up period of 18.8 months, 19 patients had experienced disease progression, and 14 had died.
Analysis showed that patients with high uPAR expression had a significantly worse prognosis, with hazard ratios of 14.3 for overall survival (OS) and 26.5 for progression-free survival (PFS), indicating a strong correlation between elevated uPAR levels and poorer outcomes.
The study authors concluded that “the majority of glioma patients, and almost all with grade 4 gliomas, displayed uPAR-positive lesions,” and emphasized that “high uPAR expression is significantly correlated with worse survival outcomes for patients.”
Great results for uTREAT as well
The promising findings not only highlight the potential of uTRACE as a diagnostic tool in glioblastoma but also open the doors for the further development of uTREAT in this indication.
CEO Ulrich Krasilnikoff is extremely excited about the completed phase II study, as the results underscore the relevance of both uTRACE and uTREAT in brain cancer, particularly glioblastoma.
– If we add the preclinical data previously reported of high efficacy of uTREAT in human glioblastoma, the supporting evidence is substantial, he says. With regard to uTRACE, its ability to visualize glioma tumour tissue and to predict both survival and tumour progression, makes it an obvious tool in the management of brain tumours.
Curasight is currently conducting a phase II trial with uTRACE in prostate cancer in collaboration with radiopharma leader Curium. For uTREAT, the clinical plan is to start with a Proof-of-Concept study in a single cancer indication and then run a phase I/IIa basket trial in five different indications. Curasight is currently working on identifying the indication to start with.
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