Many times cheaper than analogues: molecules for the diagnosis and therapy of prostate cancer created for the first time in Russia

Scientists from Tomsk have created and registered the first radiopharmaceutical drugs in Russia that can be used simultaneously for both the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. According to the press service of Tomsk Polytechnic University, the first phase of clinical trials was successful.

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Researchers from Tomsk Polytechnic University, the Research Institute of Oncology of the Tomsk National Research Medical Center, and Moscow State University, working within the framework of the federal program "Priority-2030", are developing a new concept in cancer treatment - theranostics. This is an innovative method that combines diagnostics and therapy.

At the moment, only two theranostic molecules have been created in the world: for the diagnosis and treatment of neuroendocrine tumors and prostate cancer. Both of them were developed by one foreign company. There were no such projects in Russia, so we can safely say that the first domestic theranostic pair was developed at TPU.

Roman Zelchan, project manager, senior researcher at the Scientific and Educational Center "Oncotheranostics" of the Research School of Chemical and Biomedical Technologies of TPU, leading researcher at the Department of Radionuclide Therapy and Diagnostics of the Research Institute of Oncology of the Tomsk National Research Medical Center

Soon, an innovative radiopharmaceutical drug will appear in Russia that will allow accurate diagnosis of prostate cancer. It is based on the radioactive isotope technetium-99m, which is produced at Tomsk Polytechnic University.

Among the main advantages of the new drug are its availability and ease of production. The cost of the new drug is significantly lower than that of existing analogues.

The technetium isotope is produced at the university using a unique technology on a research nuclear reactor.

In 2023, the drug successfully passed the first phase of clinical trials at the Research Institute of Oncology of the Tomsk National Research Medical Center.

The molecule intended for treatment, containing lutetium-177, also successfully passed the first stage of clinical trials on patients at the Research Institute of Oncology of the Tomsk National Research Medical Center. During these studies, the safety, good tolerability, and initial effectiveness of the drug were confirmed. Radiation doses were also determined.

Both drugs - diagnostic and therapeutic - have been patented.

Rospatent has included the compound for radionuclide ligand-receptor therapy of prostate cancer, developed at TPU, in the list of the best medical inventions.

Now we face a large-scale task of conducting direct clinical trials to study the effectiveness of our radiopharmaceutical drugs in comparison with existing foreign analogues.

Roman Zelchan

Earlier www1.ru reported that scientists at the Sirius University are engaged indeveloping a 3D model of a tumor, which will become the basis for creating new methods of cancer treatment. Researchers will be able to recreate the real conditions that contribute to the development and spread of malignant neoplasms. This opens up new horizons for understanding these processes and contributes to the creation of more effective ways to combat the disease.