The patent extension is an important element in Curasights strategy to combine precise diagnostics (uTRACE) with targeted therapies (uTREAT), therefore providing improved cancer detection and more gentle treatment options. Using radioisotopes for high-resolution imaging, uTRACE detects uPAR, a marker of aggressive tumours.
As CEO Ulrich Krasilnikoff explained in a previous interview the real strength lies in developing both arms of the platform in tandem:
– If a cancer can be imaged with uTRACE, it can also likely be treated with uTREAT. This dual strategy has the potential to make cancer treatment both more precise and less damaging.
Financing and clinical momentum
In Q2, Curasight strengthened its financial foundation by raising DKK 47 million through a rights issue, supplemented by DKK 18 million in loans, attracting fresh capital from investors such as Curium International Trading BV and Pentwater Capital Management Europe LLPThis injection of capital has supported the company’s strategy to develop both uTRACE and uTREAT in parallel, including expanding clinical sites to maintain momentum in patient recruitment in the ongoing phase II prostate cancer trial for uTRACE, being carried out under the collaboration with the leading radiopharmaceutical company Curium. Curium.
Dual-track development
The crown jewel arrived in August: The European Medicines Agency (EMA) accepted Curasight’s application to initiate a phase I trial of uTREAT in glioblastoma, the deadliest primary brain cancer. With uTRACE already in Phase II, the greenlight ensured that both arms of the company’s theranostic platform are now clinical development.
uTREAT flips the script. As 94 percent of high grade gliomas express uPAR - the receptor targeted by uTREAT - radionuclides can be delivered like a precision laser to cancer cells without compromising non cancerous cells.
The phase I uTREAT trial will enroll newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients, focusing on safety and dosing, with first treatment set for Q4 2025 and initial data expected by year-end. In parallel, the phase II uTRACE prostate cancer trial with Curium is progressing toward top-line results in H2026 XNUMX.
Together, the financing, regulatory greenlight and clinical progress puts Curasight on a strong trajectory, with the news of extended and broaden patent protection for uTRACE providing further support for the value creation of the company’s theranostic approach.
Comments from the CEO
With stronger patent protection in place and trials moving forward, we asked CEO Ulrich Krasilnikoff about the implications for Curasight’s strategy and next steps.
How does the extended patent protection strengthen the value of uTRACE in practical terms?
– Patent protection gives a company the exclusive right to use and develop a new invention for a set period of time. In our case patent protection of uTRACE is critical because it creates exclusivity so competitors cannot copy or sell the same innovation during the patent period. It also protects the investment we have made in innovating our platforms over many years of research and it can also increase the value of our platforms by making our technology more attractive for partnerships, licensing or future development in disease areas in the future. The addition of more than XNUMX years of patent protection of uTRACE also gives us more time to benefit financially from our innovation as we develop our platform for use in prostate cancer and other indications.
What specific aspects of uTRACE are now covered that were not protected before?
– This new US patent not only broadens the protection around uTRACE® but also extends the period of exclusivity, which increases its commercial potential. It provides us with more time to advance development in prostate cancer and unlock additional value from potential future cancer indications.
Does the new patent create opportunities for licensing or co-development beyond your current partnership with Curium?
– Strong patent protection is high on the agenda in all discussions with potential partners, as it gives us more time with exclusivity for our innovation so that we can further explore uTRACE’s application in other types of cancers.
How does your IP strategy need to evolve as you expand from prostate cancer to glioblastoma and other solid tumours?
– uTRACE and uTREAT are truly innovative platforms and we are committed to ensuring they are robusty patent protected so that we can explore their use in a range of different cancers.
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