SK Biopharmaceuticals, a South Korea-based biotech company, announced on Monday that it has entered into an agreement with the Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS), a Korean research institution involved in the study and advancement of radiological and medical sciences.

Under the agreement, the organisations will partner on discovering and developing preclinical radiopharmaceutical drug candidates. This is the first collaborative research agreement under which both parties intend to discover radiopharmaceutical compounds and investigate novel oncological treatments using actinium-225 (225Ac), an alpha-particle emitting radioisotope that selectively kills cancer cells. The research for radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) focuses on this application that has been gaining attention for its high potential in nuclear medicine.

SK Biopharmaceuticals has already initiated its 225Ac-based research as it secured a supply of the radioisotope from TerraPower Isotopes, a subsidiary of TerraPower, a nuclear innovation company whose investors include SK Biopharmaceuticals' parent SK Inc and Bill Gates.

SK Biopharmaceuticals and KIRAMS will seek to submit an Investigational New Drug application by 2027, as they leverage each other's resources to optimise their drug discovery efforts. SK Biopharmaceuticals said it could significantly reduce the time and cost of new drug development, with KIRAMS' researchers, facilities and equipment using the radioisotope, enabling the company to further accelerate in securing and expanding its RPT pipeline and capability.

The agreement is in line with SK Biopharmaceuticals' so-called 'RPT Roadmap' recently introduced to become a global leading RPT player by 2027, as the company will fortify its RPT business by discovering new drug compounds, extending supply and production capacities and developing a tech platform, via strengthened internal assets and strategic partnerships.