Benzinga | Aug 10, 2020 08:49AM EDT

Monopar And NorthStar Partner With IsoTherapeutics For The Manufacturing Of Potential Therapeutic For Severe COVID-19

WILMETTE, Ill. and BELOIT, Wis. and ANGLETON, Texas, Aug. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Monopar Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:MNPR) (Wilmette, IL) and NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC (Beloit, WI), who are collaborating on the development of Radio-Immuno-Therapeutics (RITs) to treat patients with severe COVID-19, today announced a partnership with IsoTherapeutics Group, LLC (Angleton, TX), to develop and manufacture a RIT for the potential treatment of severe COVID-19.



IsoTherapeutics will modify Monopar's proprietary urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) targeted antibody, MNPR-101, by making conjugates that will allow the attachment of therapeutic radioisotopes supplied by NorthStar, creating a platform of uPAR-targeted RIT (uPRIT) candidates to be evaluated as treatments for severe COVID-19. The plan is for IsoTherapeutics to then advance a clinical candidate identified from this platform through GMP manufacturing for Monopar and NorthStar to take into its first in human trials.

Recent publications have implicated uPAR-expressing immune cells in the development of severe lung injury, multiple organ failure, and death in severe COVID-19 patients. "A treatment that specifically targets and eradicates these over-activated immune cells could significantly improve patient outcomes in severe COVID-19," said Andrew Mazar, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Monopar.

"We are excited to partner with Monopar and NorthStar," said Jim Sim?n, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of IsoTherapeutics. "A uPAR-targeted RIT has great therapeutic potential, and we are proud to contribute our expertise in radiopharmaceutical research and manufacturing to ensure its rapid and effective development."

James T. Harvey, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Science Officer of NorthStar, said "We have successfully worked with IsoTherapeutics on a previous project that led to an FDA approval, and we value their expertise. This is a crucial step in the development of a uPRIT for severe COVID-19."

About Monopar Therapeutics Inc.

Monopar Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on developing proprietary therapeutics designed to extend life or improve the quality of life for cancer patients. Monopar's pipeline consists of Validive(r) for the prevention of chemoradiotherapy-induced severe oral mucositis in oropharyngeal cancer patients; camsirubicin for the treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcoma; and a late-stage preclinical antibody, MNPR-101, for advanced cancers and severe COVID-19. For more information, visit: www.monopartx.com.