NeoRx Reports Progress With Therapeutics

NeoRx of Seattle, USA, launched its first diagnostic product onto themarket in February and is now working to get its therapeutic products through trials and onto the market, chief executive Paul Abrams told the Marketletter in a recent interview.

Verluma (nofetumomab merpentan), for the diagnostic imaging of small cell lung cancer, is marketed by DuPont Merck and has just completed its first quarter of sales, generating (undisclosed) royalty revenue for NeoRx. Mr Abrams said that sales are not expected to be huge in the near future, as it will take time to communicate the potential benefits of the product in the staging of SCLC to oncologists. Far greater potential is offered with NeoRx' therapeutic candidates, he said.

Avicidin, NeoRx' radioimmunotherapy product for the treatment of patients with advanced-stage cancer, is in Phase I/II single-dose studies. A non-radioactive antibody, linked to streptavidin, is injected into the body and allowed to circulate for several days, during which time it accumulates in tumor sites. A clearing agent is then injected to remove excess antibody from the circulation, and then a radioisotope (yttrium 90) is injected systemically. This isotope is linked to biotin which binds to the streptavidin.