MDS Nordion Signs Agreement with Bradmer Pharmaceuticals Inc. for Novel Brain Cancer Therapeutic
19 Aprile 2006 - 3:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
OTTAWA, April 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MDS Nordion, the world's
leading provider of medical isotopes and radiopharmaceutical
services, has signed a three-year contract with Bradmer
Pharmaceuticals Inc. for the development and clinical trial supply
of Neuradiab, a monoclonal antibody conjugated to iodine-131 used
to treat glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and deadly
form of brain cancer. "MDS Nordion is thrilled to team up with
Bradmer Pharmaceuticals in their fight against this terrible
disease," said Steve West, President of MDS Nordion. "We are
pleased that our world-class cGMP facilities, wealth of expertise
and dedication to bringing products to market quickly will
contribute to Neuradiab's development and its potential success."
According to the World Health Organization, GBM is usually fatal
and up to 10,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in North America
alone. Currently in clinical trials, to date, Neuradiab has been
proven to be safe and effective in delivering tumor-killing
radiation specifically to residual brain tumor cells following
surgery, with minimal impact on the surrounding normal brain
tissue. "In six completed clinical trials involving over 160
glioblastoma multiforme cancer patients, Neuradiab has demonstrated
a significant survival benefit over historical controls. This new
agreement with MDS Nordion is an important step in our preparation
for a planned multi-center clinical trial for Neuradiab," said Mark
C. Rogers, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Bradmer Pharmaceuticals
Inc. "We chose MDS Nordion based on their experience and standards
of quality in developing and producing radiotherapeutics." About
MDS Nordion MDS Nordion (http://www.mds.nordion.com/) is a world
leader in radioisotopes, radiation and related technologies. MDS
Nordion is part of MDS Inc. (TSX:MDS; NYSE:MDZ). MDS Inc. has more
than 8,800 highly skilled people in 28 countries. We provide a
diverse range of superior products and services to increase our
customers' speed, precision and productivity in the drug
development and disease diagnosis processes. We are a global,
values-driven health and life sciences company, recognized for our
reliability and collaborative relationships as we help create
better outcomes in the treatment of disease. Find out more at
http://www.mdsintl.com/ or by calling 1-888-MDS-7222, 24 hours a
day. About Bradmer Pharmaceuticals Inc.
(http://www.bradmerpharma.com/) Bradmer Pharmaceuticals is a
biotechnology company focused on the development and
commercialization of new and innovative cancer therapies. Bradmer's
lead clinical candidate, Neuradiab, was developed at Duke
University Medical Center as a proprietary therapy for a
particularly aggressive form of brain cancer. During the course of
development at Duke University, over US$60 million in research
grants and related support has produced a series of 7 Phase I and
Phase II clinical trials. Approximately 200 brain cancer patients,
including over 160 with GBM, have been treated with the Neuradiab
therapy regimen, and survival benefits have significantly exceeded
historical controls in each and every completed trial. Bradmer is
currently in the process of organizing a multi-center clinical
trial of the licensed treatment. Neuradiab was recently granted
Orphan Drug Status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
DATASOURCE: MDS Nordion CONTACT: Shelley Maclean, External
Communications, MDS Nordion, Tel: (613) 592-3400 ext. 2414, E-mail:
Copyright