Back to newsThera4Care – a new consortium to revolutionize cancer care, advancing precision medicine for patients in Europe
Minerva Imaging is excited to be part of Thera4Care, an initiative aimed at revolutionizing the use of theranostics to improve patient access across Europe. This €25.3 million project, running over five years, brings together 29 partners, including leading European academic and clinical institutions, small and medium-sized enterprises, and patient advocacy groups.
Cancer remains the world’s leading cause of death, responsible for nearly 10 million fatalities in 2022. By 2050, the number of new cancer cases is expected to rise to 35 million, driven in part by population growth and aging 1. Theranostics represents a breakthrough in cancer treatment by combining diagnostic imaging with targeted therapies for a personalized approach. This method leverages molecular imaging to identify tumor receptors, and if present, administers a radioactive drug to precisely target cancer cells.
Although theranostics is already being used to treat late-stage prostate and neuroendocrine cancers, its availability is currently limited to specialized centers. There is an urgent need for new radiotheranostics innovations to expand its clinical applications and make this cutting-edge treatment more accessible to a broader range of patients, including those at community health centers.
Thera4Care aims to broaden the use of theranostics throughout Europe by developing and implementing standardized, scalable methods for producing, detecting, and monitoring key theranostic isotopes. This effort will cover the entire process, from diagnostic development to therapeutic application. The project will enhance radiology-based diagnostics and therapies, with a focus on diseases such as prostate, ovarian, pancreatic cancers, and sarcomas, aligning with the increasing importance of multi-modal radiotheranostics solutions.
Thera4Care consortium at the kick-off meeting in Rome.
Through the Thera4Care initiative, Minerva Imaging and its partners aim to:
- Expand Europe’s network of copper isotope production facilities, ensuring consistent methods through shared hardware and software platforms
- Develop next-generation SPECT-CT imaging scanners to enable imaging with a wide range of alpha emitters
- Create AI-enabled imaging and multi-modal theranostic clinical decision support tools, with an initial focus on prostate cancer, to optimize patient outcomes
- Advance AI-driven tumor quantification by establishing a methodology framework for personalized dosimetry
More specifically, our responsibilities within the consortium include:
- Preclinical evaluation of Tb-161, Cu-61/64/67, and At-211 labeled compounds
- Manufacturing and supply chain of these compounds, including their clinical translation
Carsten Nielsen, CEO and co-founder of Minerva Imaging, said: “We are incredibly proud to be part of the Thera4Care initiative, a unique collaboration between academic and industry partners aimed at transforming precision oncology and advancing theranostics within the EU. We look forward to fruitful cooperation in the coming years and contributing to the development of medicines for patients with an unmet need.”
The project is co-funded under the Horizon Europe framework as part of the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI), a public-private partnership between the European Union and the life sciences industries. The Joint Undertaking (IHI JU) under grant agreement #101172788 receives support from the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, along with contributions from COCIR, EFPIA, EuropaBio, MedTech Europe, Vaccines Europe, and other Thera4Care partners. The grant agreement was signed on October 1, 2024, and will continue for the next five years.
For more details, visit the IHI website or the Thera4Care project page.
This article is based on information from the original press release by GE HealthCare. For the full release, visit: GE HealthCare takes key role in new consortium to revolutionize cancer care, advancing precision medicine for patients in Europe | GE HealthCare (United States)
About Minerva Imaging
Minerva Imaging is a fully integrated CRO and CDMO specialized in targeted radionuclide therapies. The company focusses on the use of advanced models within oncology, cardiovascular diseases, and in vivo molecular imaging for translational research and drug development. Minerva Imaging engages with its clients to understand their scientific questions and discuss how its methods and capabilities can provide answers. The facility located in Denmark offers best–in–industry fully integrated radiopharmaceutical research, drug development and manufacturing services.
Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest news updates.
