Sweden-based Akiram Therapeutics has secured a supply agreement with Germany-based ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE for non-carrier-added lutetium-177 (n.c.a. Lu-177) to support the clinical development of AKIR001, an antibody-radionuclide conjugate (ARC) targeting CD44v6-expressing solid tumors. Financial terms were not disclosed.
AKIR001 combines n.c.a. Lu-177 with a proprietary antibody directed against CD44v6, a cancer marker the company describes as associated with several aggressive tumor types including lung, head and neck, thyroid, and gynecological cancers. The candidate is designed to deliver radiation selectively to tumor cells. It is currently being evaluated in a Phase I dose-escalation trial (NCT06639191) at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm in patients with irresectable or metastatic CD44v6-positive solid tumors. Akiram reported in May 2026 that the trial had advanced to cohort 3 following a favorable safety review, enabling evaluation of higher activity levels.
The n.c.a. specification — produced without stable Lu-176 as a carrier — delivers higher specific activity than carrier-added Lu-177, a quality distinction that is particularly relevant for antibody-based conjugates where receptor saturation at low antibody doses is a concern. The agreement follows Akiram's publication of preclinical data in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine in May 2026, reporting selective tumor uptake and antitumor effects in pancreatic cancer models.