Ratio Therapeutics, Inc.

As far as cancer treatments go, radiopharmaceuticals are conceptually simple. After all, radioactive isotopes are very good at killing cancer cells. And as targeting technology improves, large pharma companies are paying closer attention to the drug field and the many smaller biotechnology firms within it.This radio-renaissance belies the long history of radiation-based drugs, the idea for which has been around for more than half a century, said Jack Hoppin, CEO of Ratio Therapeutics, one of those small biotechs.Its not a novel concept to put a radioisotope into patients, Hoppin said, describing research into the radioisotope iodine-131 in the 1950s.Decades later in the early 2000s, GSKs Bexxar and Idec Pharmaceuticals Zevalin both won approvals to treat lymphoma, but their use never took off due to logistical and other issues. While radioisotopes became commonplace in diagnostic imaging, the current boom in radiopharmaceuticals was brought on by two drugs now owned by Novartis: Lutathera for neuroendocrine tumors and Pluvicto for prostate cancer.There have been a couple other successes in the space, but those are the two driving forces that caught everyones eye, said Hoppin. When a buyer like Novartis steps in and starts building infrastructure, and oncologists are willing to prescribe and treat directly with these drugs, it builds momentum.Ratio is still early in its own development journey. But backed by another pharma giant, Bristol Myers Squibb, the company has a front row seat to the fields rapid expansion.I think youll see these drugs evolve in the way that antibody-drug conjugates have said Hoppin. It took time to adopt and come to fruition, but were now in an era where companies are looking for fit-for-purpose molecules for radioligand therapy and the characteristics required to be successful.Merging fieldsOne of the challenges in developing radiopharmaceuticals is balancing the drugs potency with their safety. The isotope the drugs contain must be linked securely enough to a targeting compound that it reaches the target tumors, but loosely enough that it can be deposited upon arrival.To get that balance right requires more than just biology and chemistry, said Hoppin, who holds a Ph.D. in mathematics. For example, understanding the way radioactive isotopes actinium-225 in Ratios case populate into a tumor is as much a math problem as it is biological.People in pharmaceutical sciences underestimate nuclear medicine, and people in nuclear medicine underestimate pharmaceutical sciences, said Hoppin. We try to acknowledge that youre only as good as the weakest disciplinarian within your group.Ratio uses actinium-225 with a combination of targeting and linking platforms to ensure a calculated dose for its treatments, one of which is close to entering Phase 1 testing.While biotechnology advances can come in seemingly overnight breakthroughs, Hopping credits the steady accumulation of better targets and biomarkers for the growth in therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals.There wasnt a clear-cut smoking gun that changed the market, he said. [It was] more an evolution of medicinal chemistry and biomarker technology to image these agents faster and more quantitatively.Building a marketRatio is one of more than a dozen small- to mid-sized startups exploring radiopharmaceuticals. Acquisitions by large pharma companies have boosted the field, encouraging the formation of new companies and funding for those already established.Bristol Myers Squibb announced a $4.1 billion acquisition of RayzeBio at the end of last year. That same week, Eli Lilly completed a $1.4 billion purchase of Point Biopharma. Both companies have radiopharmaceutical candidates in clinical trials.Then this year, AstraZeneca bought Fusion Pharmaceuticals for $2.4 billion, continuing the dealmaking trend. There were 86 licensing, partnering or acquisition deals in the radiopharmaceuticals field over the last five years, according to a Nature report, with the number of deals nearly tripling between 2021 and 2022.There are still challenges in the field, as Hoppin can attest, from manufacturing of radioactive materials to supply chain and storage. But the future looks bright.Some of these things cant be instantly solved, but looking out a decade, there are going to be multiple approvals and really exciting times, Hoppin said. '

VALENCIA, Calif., June 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nusano, Inc., a physics company transforming the production of medical radioisotopes, today announced industry veteran D. Scott Holbrook as chairman of its board. Holbrook is the co-founder of Invivo Molecular Imaging, and currently serves as the general manager and chief strategy officer for Pharmalogic, a leading contract development and manufacturing organization specializing in novel diagnostic imaging and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals for the treatment of cancers. He has served on Nusano’s board since September 2022. Holbrook brings over 25 years of experience growing companies in biotech and radiopharmaceuticals to the role. His experience will be critical as Nusano begins commercialization and scale-up of its proprietary medical radioisotope production technologies. “Many highly promising cancer treatments in development are in desperate need of a reliable supply of medical radioisotopes,” said Holbrook. “Nusano’s proprietary technologies are poised to make many of these critical components available and abundant in ways no other production method can. It’s an honor to have this opportunity to lead the board and help advance an exciting new era in radiotherapeutics.” Chris Lowe, CEO of Nusano, commented, “Scott has been an invaluable member of our board and is a passionate advocate for patients. As our production capacity comes online, his strategic insights and experience will help ensure our customer needs are met in a timely and reliable manner.” Radioisotopes are essential components in the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) of a category of new and emerging cancer therapies, known as radiotherapeutics. Existing supply chains for these treatment-enabling resources are often strained, posing a risk to patient care, clinical trials, and ongoing drug development. Nusano is working to stabilize supply chains and enable innovation by bringing new sources of radioisotopes to commercial markets. The company expects to begin producing and delivering commercial-scale quantities of lutetitum-177 in Q1 2025 and actinium-225 in H2 2025. Nusano’s first-of-its-kind production facility opens Q1 2025 in West Valley City, Utah. At full scale it will be capable of producing more than 25 radioisotopes of interest to medicine, and the simultaneous production of up to 12 different radioisotopes. In addition to his roles at Nusano and PharmaLogic, Holbrook serves as an adjunct professor in the Department of Radiology at the University of Utah, and on the board of Ratio Therapeutics. He holds a Master of Science in Molecular Imaging and Therapy from Regis College and a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Nuclear Medicine from Wheeling University. About NusanoNusano is a privately held physics company committed to bringing stability and innovation to the rapidly emerging and critically undersupplied medical radioisotopes market. Nusano’s proprietary ion source is smaller and more efficient than existing production methods. This results in significantly greater yields and allows for the simultaneous manufacturing of multiple radioisotopes. Nusano’s technologies will supply the fight against cancer and support diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceutical development. The company’s state-of-the-art production facility opens Q1 2025 in West Valley City, Utah. For more, please visit www.nusano.com. Contacts: Media: Scott Larrivee, Nusano, 608-345-6629, scott.larrivee@nusano.comInvestor Relations: Joyce Allaire, LifeSci Advisors, LLC, 212-915-2569, jallaire@lifesciadvisors.com

BOSTON, April 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ratio Therapeutics Inc. (Ratio), an emerging pharmaceutical company employing innovative technologies to develop best-in-class radiopharmaceuticals for cancer treatment and monitoring, today announced the appointments of Bill Cupelo as the company's Chief Business Officer and D. Scott Holbrook, MS, FSNMMI-TS to its Board of Directors. These strategic additions to Ratio's leadership team will further advance Ratio's growth and innovation in the development and commercialization of radiopharmaceuticals for cancer diagnosis and treatment. "We are pleased to welcome Bill Cupelo and D. Scott Holbrook to the Ratio team," commented Dr. Jack Hoppin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ratio. "These appointments underscore our commitment to building a leadership team that will propel us forward in advancing our radiopharmaceutical platforms. Mr. Cupelo's proven track record of success in business development and strategy will be instrumental in accelerating our growth and building out our pipeline of novel therapeutics and diagnostics. In addition, Mr. Holbrook's expertise in enabling the transition of innovative precision medicine technologies from experimental stages to practical application in clinical environments will be an invaluable addition to our board." "I am honored to join Ratio at such a pivotal time, as the development of targeted radiopharmaceuticals continues to build momentum in our industry," said Bill Cupelo, Chief Business Officer of Ratio. "The company's recent $50M Series B financing puts them in an excellent position to advance their first FAP-targeted therapeutic candidate into the clinic this year. I look forward to leveraging my experience to advance business development and drive strategic growth initiatives, ensuring that Ratio's innovative radiopharmaceuticals reach the patients who need them the most." Mr. Cupelo brings a sponsor and science-first mindset with over 10 years' experience in sales with a focus on oncology and neurology. Prior to joining Ratio, Mr. Cupelo was Head of Sales at Invicro, where he was responsible for all sales operations and account relations with a focus on clinical imaging core lab, software informatics, and data science products and services as well as strategic alliances with pharma partners. Previously, Mr. Cupelo also served as Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Accounts, and Software Product Manager at Invicro. Mr. Cupelo holds an MS in Biotechnology from Georgetown University and a BS in Chemistry from the College of the Holy Cross. "I am impressed with the strength of Ratio's platform and look forward to the opportunity to work alongside my Board colleagues to help guide the company's growth and development," said D. Scott Holbrook. "I am eager to apply my experience in radiopharmaceutical manufacturing and supply chain solutions to help Ratio accelerate the development and future commercialization of its targeted radiopharmaceuticals for cancer therapy." Mr. Holbrook joins Ratio's Board of Directors with 25+ years of experience in the field of molecular imaging and therapeutics, which encompasses all phases of radiopharmaceutical drug development including target identification, GMP manufacturing, quality and regulatory matters, clinical trials, translation, post-approval manufacturing and imaging. He currently serves as the General Manager and Chief Strategy Officer of PharmaLogic, where he is responsible for guiding the strategic direction and implementation of diagnostic and therapeutic drug products. Mr. Holbrook holds an MS in Molecular Imaging and Therapeutics from Regis College and a BS in Nuclear Medicine Technology from Wheeling Jesuit University. About Ratio Therapeutics Ratio Therapeutics Inc. is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company with the mission to accelerate the development of next-generation precision radiopharmaceuticals for solid tumors and transform oncology treatment paradigms. With headquarters and laboratories in Boston, the company currently employs a growing team of multidisciplinary experts with backgrounds in radiopharmaceutical discovery and development. Ratio's proprietary R&D platforms, TrilliumTM and MacropaTM, enable the development of tunable radiopharmaceuticals for therapy and imaging that possess pharmacokinetic modulation, thereby improving drug availability, tumor delivery, and tumor loading. Ratio, in collaboration with Lantheus and PharmaLogic, is currently conducting a Phase I trial to evaluate the efficacy of a novel fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-targeted PET diagnostic compound for a broad array of epithelial-derived cancers in adult healthy volunteers. The company is also currently advancing the development of its first FAP-targeted radiotherapeutic with plans to enter clinical trials this year. Please visit for more information and follow us on Twitter (X) and LinkedIn. Media Contact: Rachelle Babb, Ph.D. Russo Partners, LLC [email protected] +1 (929) 325-7559 SOURCE Ratio Therapeutics Inc.