Recipient: Rechts der Isar University Hospital of the Technical University of Munich
Funding: GO-Bio initial conceptual phase 4 (01/10/2023 to 30/09/2024, EUR 119,994.00)

Project description:

Many novel forms of therapy, such as cell and gene therapies, have recently been approved for the treatment of patients for the first time. In contrast to classical drugs these advanced new therapeutics are ‘living medicines’ that are designed to divide and migrate in the body in order to exert their effect. In order to be able to precisely localise them in the body and to quantify and determine their amount, a labelling method that makes the new therapeutics visible with particular precision in positron emission tomography (PET) for the first time was developed. This is because the classic approach, in which, for example, tumour markers are visualised in PET with a contrast agent, is not applicable to these new forms of therapy. The developed labelling method will be used in therapy monitoring of patients and in the development of new cell and gene therapies.

The aim of the project is to optimise the labelling process, commercialise it for pharmaceutical research and approve it for clinical application. To this end a spin-off and cooperation with a contract manufacturer in the pharmaceutical industry are planned. In addition to the optimisation of the product an IP strategy, a market analysis as well as an implementation plan for the clinical translation of the process and a risk analysis for the intended spin-off will be developed in the exploratory phase.