Great potential for Dresden's mini search engine in the fight against cancer

Dresden/Radeberg, 19 January 2023. Oncologists will be able to treat cancer better in the future using new types of radioactive mini-seekers. These „radioligands“, for example, are modified immune cells with a slightly radioactive cargo that only attach themselves specifically to cancer cells in the body and then destroy them from the inside out. Scientists and politicians alike see great opportunities here, especially for cancer patients and for Saxony as a centre of life technology.

Researchers see great potential for cancer therapy

„Especially in the field of radiopharmaceutical oncology, we see great potential to open up new perspectives for the treatment of cancer, from basic research to medical application,„ emphasised Science Director Prof. Sebastian M. Schmidt from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR). „This is just as important for patients as it is for Saxony as a centre for science and business.“

Radiopharma cluster between Dresden and Radeberg has grown

In the meantime, an entire „Radiopharmaceutical Valley“ has grown up around Dresden and the radiopharmaceutical site in Radeberg (as reported by the Oiger), which is dedicated to these and similar technologies. In addition to the HDZR, which can generate radionuclides with its own cyclotron and is dedicated to basic research, this also includes companies for analysing, packaging and applying this radiopharmaceutical medicine. These include companies such as Rotop, „ABX advanced biochemical compounds“, „ABX-CRO advanced pharmaceutical services Forschungsgesellschaft“, „Isotope Technologies Dresden“, the entire „Molecular Diagnostics Group“ (MDG) and the CUP laboratories of Dr Freitag in Radeberg. Several hundred people in Saxony are now working on this technology line.

The roots of this radiopharma cluster go back to the GDR era, when radiologists used the low-radiation nuclides from Dresden to make tumours more clearly visible for subsequent radiotherapy or operations, for example. To do this, they were dependent on supplies from the former Academy Central Institute for Nuclear Research in Rossendorf. The new „theranostic radiopharmaceuticals“ (a portmanteau of „therapeutic“ and „diagnostic“) are no longer just used for diagnosis, but also for high-precision cancer treatment. They are still at the beginning of their development, but could take individualised oncology to a new level in the future. From my point of view, Saxony as a centre of science has a unique opportunity to develop the excellent structures in place today into an internationally active Radiopharmaceutical Valley in the Free State of Saxony," outlined Prof. Klaus Kopka from the HZDR Centre for Radiopharmaceutical Tumour Research (ZRT) during a visit by Saxony's Minister of Health Petra Köpping and Minister of Economics Martin Dulig (both SPD).

Economy Minister sees good export opportunities

„More than 330 companies and research institutes with a good 15,500 employees are now working on innovative solutions in Saxony's healthcare industry,

said Dulig during his visit to Rossendorf. For the „Radiopharmaceutical Valley“, the HZDR „acts like a nucleus around which the expertise for low-level radioactive drugs forms and multiplies“. And the export opportunities for such drugs are very good. „Because the half-lives of the isotopes used are quite short, our state-of-the-art logistics infrastructure plays into our hands here. Leipzig/Halle Airport is an important location factor and guarantees fast onward transport of the medicines.“

Article from 19 January 2023