Philochem licenses worldwide rights for OncoACP3 to BMS unit

Switzerland-based Philochem and Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) radiopharma subsidiary RayzeBio have announced a definitive agreement under which Philochem will license the exclusive worldwide rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialise OncoACP3, a clinical stage therapeutic and diagnostic agent targeting prostate cancer, to RayzeBio.

BMS kickstarted its radiopharma drive last year when it completed a $4.1 billion acquisition of San Diego-based RayzeBio,  with a portfolio that included a late-stage candidate for neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) and therapies for lung, liver, and kidney cancers.

OncoACP3 is a small molecule ligand with high affinity and specificity for acid phosphatase 3 (ACP3), a novel target in prostate cancer. The compound is currently under evaluation in a company-sponsored Phase I trial (NCT06840535). Initial data from the first cohort of patients evaluated with the OncoACP3 diagnostic has been promising, displaying selective tumour uptake and long residence time with minimal healthy tissue uptake. Investigational dew drug (IND)-enabling activities to support the application for a Phase I therapeutic study with Ac-OncoACP3 are ongoing.