12 February 2020 - - US-based radioisotopes developer and producer NorthStar Medical Technologies, LLC and Australia-based Clarity Pharmaceuticals, a radiopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of serious disease, have signed a letter of intent for the commercial supply of copper-67 (Cu-67) as an active pharmaceutical ingredient for Clarity's pipeline of copper-based radiopharmaceuticals, the company said.

Under terms of the agreement, NorthStar will provide Clarity Pharmaceuticals with Cu-67, a beta-emitting radioisotope with potential applications as a targeted radiopharmaceutical for treatment of a range of cancers.

NorthStar will be a major US supplier of Cu-67 for Clarity.

Copper-67 (Cu-67) is a short-range, beta-emitting radioisotope which is attractive for medical purposes due to its ability to carry sufficient radiation energy to cause cell death in targeted cells while having a sufficiently short half-life to limit unwanted radioactivity in patients.

Cu-67 is being investigated for therapeutic purposes across a wide range of adult and childhood cancers.

Potential radiotherapeutic targets include prostate cancer, breast cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, neuroblastoma, glioma, lymphoma, ovarian and bladder cancers.

In order to develop safe and effective targeted therapies, a chelator, which strongly binds Cu-67 to the targeting agent, is required.

Clarity Pharmaceuticals has successfully developed a highly specific and highly stable chelator for copper isotopes and is now progressing a range of radiopharmaceuticals based on its proprietary MeCOSar chelator.

NorthStar is developing a proprietary process for commercial-scale production of Cu-67 to meet demand for clinical research and treatment.

NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes is a global innovator in the production and distribution of radioisotopes used for medical imaging and therapeutic purposes.

Founded in 2006 and based in Beloit, Wis., NorthStar Medical Technologies is the parent organisation of several wholly-owned subsidiaries, including NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC.

NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes is a nuclear medicine technology company committed to providing the United States with reliable and environmentally friendly radioisotope supply solutions to meet the needs of patients and to advance clinical research.

Clarity is a personalised medicine company focused on the treatment of serious diseases.

The company is in innovative radiopharmaceuticals, developing targeted therapies for the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases in adults and children.