Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX, NASDAQ:TLX) announced that it has entered into letters of intent to pursue collaborations to explore the investigational use of its PSMA-PET imaging agents Gozellix (kit for the preparation of gallium Ga 68 gozetotide) and Illuccix (kit for the preparation of gallium Ga 68 gozetotide) with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for focal prostate cancer ablation and Profound Medical’s (NASDAQ:PROF, TSX:PRN) MRI-guided transurethral ultrasound (TULSA) procedure for whole-gland, subtotal, and focal prostate cancer ablation.
Collaborative activities will focus on non-promotional scientific, educational, and research engagement.
Kevin Richardson, CEO of Telix Precision Medicine, said in a statement, “Precision medicine requires precision treatment strategies. As disruptive technologies continue to transform prostate cancer care, we believe PSMA-PET imaging has the potential to play an important role in helping inform clinical decision-making across a range of minimally invasive and image-guided treatment approaches.”
Commenting on the new collaboration, Profound’s CEO, Arun Menawat, Ph.D., said, “Emerging clinical evidence suggests PSMA imaging may support prostate whole-gland, partial-gland, and focal ablation workflows, from treatment planning through post-treatment monitoring.“
“In collaboration with Telix, we look forward to exploring optimized workflows and generating clinical evidence that may help establish best practices and accelerate adoption of PSMA-PET imaging and the MRI-guided TULSA Procedure,” Dr. Menawat added.
In a separate press release issued by Profound yesterday, Preston C. Sprenkle, M.D., an Associate Professor of Urology at Yale University School of Medicine, and Chair of the NCCN Early Detection of Prostate Cancer Guidelines Committee, said, “Approximately 85% of prostate cancer is multifocal, meaning that there are two or more distinct index lesions and/or satellite lesions present in different areas of the organ.”
Dr. Sprenkle continued, “As diagnostic imaging like MRI and PSMA PET have advanced, enabling urologists to ‘see it before they plan how to treat it’, so too have treatment options expanded. The TULSA Procedure, in particular, allows urologists to take advantage of its unique coverage and precision to deliver precise, anatomy-driven, and patient-tailored ablation that is really ‘pan-prostate’- ranging from whole-gland, to focal, to everything in between. At the same time, TULSA answers the call of patients who are increasingly demanding more targeted approaches that have the potential to minimize side effects, such as erectile dysfunction and/or urinary incontinence, while providing similar cancer control as standard mainstream therapies. I am excited to see Profound explore the potential of combining the flexible and customizable ablation advantages of MRI-guided TULSA-PRO with the treatment planning and monitoring power of molecular imaging to further advance targeted therapy.”
“From a product development perspective, we are exploring the integration of PSMA PET imaging into the TULSA-PRO treatment planning software,” stated Mathieu Burtnyk, Ph.D., Profound’s President. “We are already seeing urologists use PSMA to complement MRI to better define treatment extent, with appropriate margins extending to the prostate capsule. For TULSA, this isn’t about patient selection for focal therapy. It’s about empowering physicians to plan and deliver the best possible intent-to-treat — focal, subtotal or whole-gland — with confidence and precision tailored to every patient.”
