SK Biopharm Partners with Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences for Radiopharmaceutical Development

SK Biopharm announced on the 5th that it has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MOU) for research cooperation on radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) with the Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences.

Lee Dong-hoon, President of SK Biopharm (left), and Lee Jin-kyung, Director of the Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, are taking a commemorative photo after signing a strategic business agreement for research cooperation on radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) at the headquarters of the Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences in Nowon-gu, Seoul, on the 4th.
[Photo by SK Biopharm]

Through this agreement, SK Biopharm will collaborate with the Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences on new drug research, clinical development, and the establishment of production facilities using actinium-225 (Ac-225), a key raw material for RPT. This is the first time that a new drug developer and a specialized radiological medical research institute have cooperated to establish production facilities. SK Biopharm recently presented entering the RPT field as a key strategy to leap forward as a "big biotech."

The Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences is the only research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT that operates a hospital. The institute operates the Nuclear Medicine Hospital, the Radiation Medicine Research Institute, the National Radiation Emergency Medical Center, and the National RI New Drug Center, and has recently been strengthening its research-clinical translational platform functions.

Through this agreement, SK Biopharm aims to enter the U.S. oncology market while putting its raw material business on track in the Asian market. The company is executing its RPT strategy based on exclusive supply rights for actinium-225, a radioactive isotope material from TerraPower secured through the SK Group, in four Asian countries.

RPT is a field where the procurement of radioactive isotope raw materials is crucial, and SK Biopharm explains that actinium-225 is the most notable next-generation radioactive isotope.

Lee Jin-kyung, director of the Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, said, "Recently, the institute conducted the first domestic clinical trial of alpha-emitter targeted therapy using actinium-225 for patients with neuroendocrine tumors," adding, "With this MOU, we will accelerate new drug development using various radioactive isotopes including actinium-225 to contribute to the improvement of public health."

Lee Dong-hoon, CEO of SK Biopharm, stated, "By combining SK Biopharm’s global innovative new drug development capabilities with the Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences’ research and development (R&D) capabilities in radiopharmaceuticals, we will be able to quickly secure a leading position in the RPT field, which is emerging as the next-generation cancer treatment."