The escalating conflict in the Middle East hasn’t stopped an Israeli company from making new progress with its primary cancer treatment.
On Thursday, Alpha Tau Medical Ltd (NASDAQ: DRTS) announced that it had treated the first lung cancer patient with its Diffusing alpha-emitters Radiation Therapy (Alpha DaRT) at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem. The treatment is designed to target solid tumours while minimizing damage to surrounding tissue.
Through the newly initiated study, Alpha Tau will assess the treatment’s feasibility in up to 10 lung cancer patients. An endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) procedure will be used to administer the Alpha DaRT source or seed into their tumours.
Patients will be re-examined one and three months after the radioactive material has been inserted.
Trial will permit ongoing use of other therapies
The alpha particles emitted by the source are known to be highly destructive to cancerous cells, directly damaging their DNA. In this study, it is meant to be utilized in conjunction with chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy — if deemed necessary. Alpha Tau pioneered this treatment method through extensive research at Tel Aviv University.
“The Institute of Pulmonology of Hadassah Medical Center is excited to utilize this groundbreaking EBUS-guided implantable alpha radiation technology to treat a patient with lung cancer for the first time,” Prof. Neville Berkman, principal investigator, said.
The study’s co-investigator, Dr. Philip Blumenfeld, says the first lung cancer patient to receive the Alpha DaRT treatment had already undergone conventional radiation therapy and that receiving additional treatments would have been damaging. Alpha Tau’s therapy technique has given them another feasible option.
“We have already demonstrated the advantages of the Alpha DaRT technology in a number of other tumour types,” Alpha Tau’s Chief Medical Officer, Robert Den, said, “but examining its application to an organ such the lung, given its proximity to vital healthy organs, may hopefully open new doors to a global population of patients with otherwise poor treatment options.”
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Alpha Tau prepares to tackle brain cancer
The lead neurosurgeon at Hadassah Medical Center, Prof. Yigal Shoshan, just discussed an upcoming clinical trial on Alpha DaRT for this application on the Israeli TV program Statoscope.
Last week, Alpha Tau company representatives traveled to Washington D.C. to attend the annual American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) conference. One of their key takeaways was that the need for innovative glioblastoma (GBM, brain cancer) treatments has never been higher.
“The medical community is acutely seeking solutions for recurrent, inoperable GBM,” Alpha Tau said in a LinkedIn post. “Alpha Tau’s brain applicator, showcased at ASTRO, may offer a novel and ingenious treatment approach.”
During their time in the American capital, they attended a Gala event at the Decatur House museum. The evening featured a series of talks on advancements in cancer treatments from experts in the U.S. and Canada.
rowan@mugglehead.com