Southeast Regional Radiation Medicine Center and K-MEDI hub Launch Joint Development of Radiopharmaceutical Anticancer Drugs

Utilizing Cancer-Specific Protein-Based Ligands
Accelerating the Development of a Domestic RLT New Drug Pipeline

The Southeast Regional Radiation Medicine Center and K-MEDI hub (Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation) have officially launched a joint research initiative to develop new radiopharmaceutical anticancer drugs targeting cancer-specific proteins.

The two institutions have recently begun collaborating in earnest by initiating the discovery of candidate radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosis and treatment using target ligands.

A target ligand is a substance that selectively binds to specific target proteins or receptors, acting as a "key" that locates only cancer cells. When a radioactive isotope is attached to this ligand, it can be converted into a radiopharmaceutical that diagnoses or treats specific cancer cells. Since the U.S. FDA approved Lutathera in 2018 and Pluvicto in 2022, radiopharmaceuticals (Radio Ligand Therapy, RLT) have emerged as next-generation anticancer drugs worldwide, with the market growing rapidly. In Korea, the demand for precision medicine-based RLT development is also increasing. The Southeast Regional Radiation Medicine Center is the first in the region to have experience applying Pluvicto and Lutathera treatments to patients with prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors.

The collaboration structure combines the Southeast Regional Radiation Medicine Center's expertise in radiolabeling and nuclear medicine imaging technology with the candidate discovery and validation capabilities of the New Drug Development Support Center at K-MEDI hub. This partnership is expected to further accelerate domestic research on RLT anticancer drugs.

In this project, the radiopharmaceutical research team at the Southeast Regional Radiation Medicine Center, led by Dr. Son Taegeon, provided new cancer-specific protein target ligands. The Innovative New Drug Team 4 at K-MEDI hub, led by Kim Soonghyun, is leading the entire process of candidate development, including radiopharmaceutical design, labeling, and basic evaluation.

The two institutions plan to strengthen the domestic RLT pipeline by expanding their collaboration to include joint development of target-based candidate substances, securing intellectual property rights, and working together through preclinical and clinical stages.

Park Kusun, Chairman of K-MEDI hub, stated, "As radiopharmaceuticals are gaining attention as next-generation anticancer drugs, it is highly meaningful to support this initiative by leveraging the foundation's research infrastructure. We will continue to contribute to accelerating the development of innovative new drugs in Korea."

Lee Changhoon, Director of the Southeast Regional Radiation Medicine Center, said, "This joint research marks an important turning point in expanding our research capabilities to the actual new drug development stage. Through collaboration between the two institutions, we will do our utmost to enhance Korea's competitiveness in radiopharmaceutical development and create innovative technologies that contribute to patient care."

Southeast Regional Radiation Medicine Center

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.