Das ist viel, sieht gut aus.
Gruss E.
Isonics Begins Supplying Rare Cancer-Fighting Isotope to National Institutes of Health
GOLDEN, Colo., Jan 5, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Isonics Corporation
(Nasdaq: ISON), committed to the development of next-generation technology for
the homeland security and semiconductor markets and provider of isotopes for the
imaging and treatment of cancer, has announced the first delivery of
Actinium-225, a rare but promising cancer-fighting radio-isotope to the National
Cancer Institute, a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the federal
government's leading medical research organization. Scientists at the NIH have
informed Isonics that the initial evaluation of the Isonics-supplied Actinium
was satisfactory. The announcement was made by James E. Alexander, Chairman and
CEO of Isonics.
The isotope Bismuth-213, the radioactive decay product of Actinium-225, has
shown promising results in research into new treatments for two deadly cancers,
lymphoma and leukemia. Despite early evidence suggesting powerful efficacy of
Bismuth-213 treatment for a range of cancers and other serious disease, medical
research has in the past been slowed by short supply and high costs of available
Actinium-225.
Through its Life Sciences division, Isonics has recently entered into an
agreement with the Russian-based Institute for Physics and Power Engineering
(IPPE) to significantly boost worldwide supplies of the scarce isotope. Under
the agreement, Isonics will provide financial support to increase IPPE's
production capacity.
Isonics has received exclusive marketing and sales rights for all of the
Actinium-225 produced by IPPE. Assuming that IPPE reaches target production
levels over the next year, Isonics expects that this will nearly double the
existing global supply of Actinium-225. Currently, research includes clinical
trials for therapies for leukemia and lymphoma. Numerous pre-clinical results
have been published demonstrating the potential application of Bismuth-213 as a
therapeutic for metastatic disease, bone marrow transplant, as well as
treatments of fungal and bacterial infection.
Independent medical researchers welcomed the projected Actinium supply
increases. "Clinical results to date have looked very promising, but lack of
availability of the isotope Actinium-225 and the present high cost for that
which is available has greatly limited the research," said Dr. Barbara Y. Croft,
of the National Cancer Institute. "I am greatly encouraged that Isonics is
working with IPPE to expand availability of Actinium-225, which will enable a
greater number of promising research projects to proceed."
In clinical trials, Bismuth-213 has been used in a mode of cancer treatment
called alpha immunotherapy, which researchers believe could lead to development
of a so-called "magic bullet" for cancer treatment. The therapy involves the
combination of alpha particle-emitting radio-nuclides -- in this case,
Bismuth-213 -- with monoclonal antibodies or peptides that occur naturally in
the human body. In the NIH research, the Bismuth-213 is combined with one such
monoclonal antibody, and then injected into a cancer patient. The antibodies
recognize and specifically bond to malignant cancer cells. When the Bismuth-213
decays, it imparts alpha particles into the cancerous cells with low risk of
damaging the surrounding healthy cells.
"Isonics is pleased to be able to increase the worldwide supply of Actinium-225.
This important and promising isotope has the potential to save many lives and
usher in numerous new therapies for serious diseases," said Mr. Alexander. "Our
life sciences and healthcare division is proud to be the exclusive supplier of
this new source of Actinium-225, and to assist in furthering medical research.
While we will be generating revenue from supplying Actinium in support of
expanded clinical trials, we expect that these revenues will be modest in the
next year. If and when a therapy is approved, we would expect to profit from
substantially increased sales."
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