Full Press Release Details
Melbourne (Australia) and Liège (Belgium) | 13 January 2025
Telix today announces that it has entered into an agreement with Curium Pharma for the transfer of marketing and distribution rights for Scintimun® ( 99m Tc-besilesomab, also known as TLX66-CDx), a diagnostic radiopharmaceutical used for infection imaging [1] . The agreement also includes a strategic contract manufacturing agreement appointing Curium as the manufacturer of the product for Telix.
Scintimun is an internationally approved product [2] and has previously been manufactured and distributed by Curium Pharma through an out-license from Telix via the acquisition of TheraPharm in 2020 [3] . Following a strategic review of the asset, Telix has elected to bring sales and marketing in-house, with plans to significantly augment commercial distribution and indication expansion. The Company also intends to further develop Scintimun as a companion patient selection and safety assessment tool for TLX66 ( 90 Y-besilesomab), its therapeutic bone marrow conditioning candidate for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).
Kevin Richardson, Chief Executive Officer, Telix Precision Medicine, said, “We are pleased to be bringing Scintimun back to Telix, and see it as a valuable addition to our portfolio. In the near-term, the plan is to increase sales for its current indication by improving product availability, pricing and commercial consistency. There is significant potential to expand clinical utility, including as a “companion imaging” tool for Telix’s TLX66 bone marrow conditioning candidate. We look forward to leveraging its potential for expanded clinical indications in serious diseases that represent an unmet medical need.”
Ciril Faia, Chief Executive Officer, Curium Pharma Europe, added, “This agreement is a milestone for our Saclay site, as it recognizes our capabilities and expertise as a contract manufacturing organization in the field of nuclear medicine. It underscores the trust placed in our teams and the quality of their work. We are pleased that Scintimun will continue to benefit thousands of patients worldwide, and we are proud to support Telix in maximizing the potential of this impactful diagnostic tool.”
About Scintimun and osteomyelitis
The worldwide incidence of osteomyelitis is estimated to be as high as 21.8 cases per 100,000 persons per year. The diagnosis of osteomyelitis remains a challenge for conventional diagnostic imaging modalities and timely identification/localization of pathology can be of critical importance for appropriate management of patients.
Techniques used to diagnose osteomyelitis may include X-ray, bone scintigraphy, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These modalities are typically combined with imaging of white blood cells to distinguish infection, sterile inflammation, and other disorders. White blood cell imaging is typically performed using in vitro separation and labelling of white blood cells, which requires significant preparation time and complexity, and carries the inherent risk of contamination and misdiagnosis.
Scintimun has been shown to be more sensitive than white blood cell imaging in certain patients, with faster preparation time and lower production complexity relative to white blood cell radiolabelling [4] . Since CD66 is a key neutrophil marker, Scintimun may be used for imaging, localization, and pathological characterization in a wide variety of infection, immunology and oncology applications [5] .
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[1] Scintimun is indicated, after radiolabelling, with technetium ( 99m Tc), in adults for scintigraphic imaging, in conjunction with other appropriate imaging modalities, for determining the location of inflammation/infection in peripheral bone in adults with suspected osteomyelitis. Scintimun should not be used for the diagnosis of diabetic foot infection.
[2] Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
[3] Telix ASX disclosure 14 December 2020.
[4] Richter et al. EJNMMI. 2011.
[5] Stocks et al. Eur J Immunol. 1996.