NuView Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc. Executes Exclusive License with the University of Southern California
PARK CITY, Utah, March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- NuView Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc. (NuView) has executed an exclusive license agreement with the University of Southern California ("USC") that provides NuView with the development and commercialization rights to a tagged derivative of the naturally found biological molecule adenosine, called F-18 FXA, for potential use as a diagnostic cardiac Positron Emission Tomography (PET) radiopharmaceutical. The purpose of the agreement is to bring the cardiac application to clinical trials. The USC Stevens Institute for Innovation facilitated the transaction.
The principal aim of cardiovascular diagnostics and therapies is to reduce morbidity and mortality from heart attacks, strokes and other blood vessel- related diseases. Cardiovascular disease is the largest area of diagnostics and therapy in the global healthcare market. The diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases results in direct and indirect costs that are estimated to exceed $368 billion annually. The growth of cardiac imaging, which is an important diagnostic tool, is booming. This growth is fueled not only by the demographic trends and an aging population that will experience some form of heart disease, but also by new applications being adopted over older technologies.
Peter S. Conti, MD, PhD, Professor of Radiology at USC Keck School of Medicine and NuView Medical Director is the co-inventor of the patented F-18 FXA technology. Dr. Conti noted "our Flourine-18 radiolabeled adenosine derivative appears to be a good substrate for imaging the heart and blood flow. Conducting further studies should help us understand the mechanism of cardiac uptake."
Brian Darbonne, NuView Products Manager said, "Together with the USC investigators we are looking forward to exploring the co-development of this new diagnostic imaging agent which may facilitate the rapid identification of patients with cardiac disease who might benefit from early intervention." The inclusion of F-18 FXA in NuView's portfolio of adenosine-based technologies and therapies should help to accelerate the awareness of the increasingly important role these products play in the fight against heart disease.
The USC Stevens Institute for Innovation is a university-wide resource in the Office of the Provost at the University of Southern California designed to harness and advance the creative thinking and breakthrough research from USC for societal impact. USC Stevens identifies, nurtures, protects, and transfers to the market the most exciting innovations from USC, and in turn, provides a central connection for industry seeking cutting-edge innovations in which to invest. Furthermore, USC Stevens develops the innovator as well as innovations, through educational programs, community-building events, and showcase opportunities. From the biosciences and technology to music and cinematic arts, USC Stevens connects faculty, students, and the business community to create an environment for stimulating and inspiring the process of innovation across all disciplines. USC Stevens was established through a generous $22M naming gift from USC alumnus and Trustee Mark A. Stevens, a Partner at the Sequoia Capital venture capital firm, and his wife, Mary. For more information please visit (http://stevens.usc.edu).
NuView Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc. is a privately held, emerging Life Sciences Company based in Park City, Utah. NuView is focused on leveraging its proprietary technology platforms to develop innovative molecular imaging radiopharmaceuticals that improve the earliest detection and subsequent management of cardiac and cancer disease. NuView, in collaboration with leading research universities, is developing new biomarkers that have the potential to detect the molecular biology of cell-specific changes in gene expression and biochemistry provide the earliest diagnostic information about the nature and stage of a disease. NuView has established a strong pipeline of products now in development that includes a non-invasive NVR/LFA-1 (CD18, CD11a) compound for the detection of leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a NVR/MPI (Cu64) compound for the evaluation of myocardial perfusion, and a new small molecule peptide NVR/PACAP for early detection and diagnosing of breast and prostate tumors. For more information please visit (www.nuviewinfo.com).
pcrowe@nuviewinfo.comeff@visionadvisors.netmcgovern@visionadvisors.net
CONTACT: Paul Crowe of NuView Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc., +1-435-647-9758,
pcrowe@nuviewinfo.com; or INVESTORS: Vision Advisors, Inc.,
+1-415-835-1270, eff@visionadvisors.net, or mcgovern@visionadvisors.net
Web site: http://www.nuviewinfo.com/