Ariceum Therapeutics files for UK Clinical Trial Authorisation to test PARP inhibitor for glioblastoma patients

The application comes shortly after Ariceum acquired Theragnostics back in June 2023, the UK-based biopharma company which undertook the initial development work on I-ATT001.

Ariceum is the first company to sponsor a clinical trial of Auger therapy for recurrent glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Manfred Rüdiger, CEO of Ariceum Therapeutics, said: “Glioblastoma is the most aggressive and most common type of malignant brain tumour in adults, with a very poor prognosis for survival and currently no cure.

“I-ATT001 is a targeted Auger electron therapy that has demonstrated promising pre-clinical results, and we are delighted to be in a position to file for clinical trial authorization in the UK so soon after integrating Theragnostics into Ariceum Therapeutics. Not only is this an important step towards finding a cure for glioblastoma patients but it paves the way for Ariceum to further investigate this powerful molecular radiotherapy for the treatment of other solid tumor indications.”

ATT001 delivers its radioisotope payload, Iodine-123, in a highly targeted way to cancer cells expressing PARP, an enzyme they use to repair themselves.

This radioisotope then emits low energy Auger electrons, which deposit their energy over short distances, making them particularly useful for causing lethal damage to cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. An additional benefit of using Iodine-123 is that this isotope is more widely available than others, being produced in a regular cyclotron.

Ariceum is also exploring I-ATT001 in other solid tumor indications, as PARP is a validated target, highly expressed in several other cancers.