Fox Chase Cancer Center Invests in Expanding Access to Lifesaving Radiopharmaceuticals for Cancer Patients

Robert Uzzo, MD, MBA, FACS

As the first initiative of an emerging collaboration, Fox Chase Cancer Center has invested in Nucleus RadioPharma, a company specializing in the development and distribution of radiopharmaceuticals, targeted therapies that deliver radiation directly to cancer cells. The company’s technology platform is considered to be at the forefront of radiopharmaceutical research and designed to advance new therapies from clinical trials to commercialization. Fox Chase and Nucleus also have signed a Letter of Intent to potentially enable to a deeper collaboration, including partnership in developing a radiopharmaceutical manufacturing site and clinical trials involving radiopharmaceuticals.

“Investing in Nucleus RadioPharma is not just about funding a company but about catalyzing an entire sector. The investment will fuel ongoing clinical trials, currently numbering over 350, and make these targeted therapies more accessible,” said Robert Uzzo, MD, MBA, FACS, President and CEO of Fox Chase.

Fox Chase’s investment comes from the Fox Chase Cancer Center Director’s Innovation Fund, which is intended to incentivize translational research and science. This funding, along with investments from several other organizations, including the Mayo Clinic, will help accelerate Nucleus RadioPharma’s initiatives in research, manufacturing, and supply chain efficiencies.

The company’s 12,000-square-foot facility near the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, will serve as the cornerstone for expanding its manufacturing and supply chain capabilities. Two additional regional factory hubs are set for completion in 2026 and 2027, one of which will be in the Philadelphia area, and will allow the company to bring these life-saving treatments to an even broader patient base.

The company’s partnerships and collaborations will not only enable rapid initiation of clinical trials and full support for formulation, but analytical method development and regulatory filing as well.

“This investment is instrumental in fast-tracking research and making radiopharmaceuticals more accessible, thanks to their non-patient-specific nature,” said Jonathan Chernoff, MD, PhD, Cancer Center Director.

This capital will also expedite the completion of an integrated radiopharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization and supply chain facility close to the Mayo Clinic’s main hospital.

“The current radiopharmaceutical market is estimated to be $10 billion, growing to an estimated $30 billion by 2030,” said Sangeeta Bardhan Cook, PhD, MBA, Chief Innovation Officer at Fox Chase. “As the first integrated radiopharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization and supply chain network, Nucleus RadioPharma is uniquely positioned to expedite the availability of lifesaving targeted therapies to wider populations.”

Radiopharmaceuticals stand out as an effective treatment for solid tumors, which constitute about 90% of all cancer cases. Unlike cutting-edge immunotherapies like CAR-T, which are often complex and limited to certain types of cancer, radiopharmaceuticals can treat over 50 types of cancer, including the most prevalent forms like breast, lung, and colorectal. With an estimated 1.9 million new cancer diagnoses expected in 2023 alone, the potential impact of this funding is far-reaching.

“For millions diagnosed with solid tumors, existing options like CAR-T therapies have limitations. Our funding advances the reach and impact of radiopharmaceuticals, therapies that can be mass-produced and offer hope to those with few alternatives,” said Charles Conroy, CEO of Nucleus RadioPharma.