19 Mar 2024
In an interview with Unwire, ZERO Biotech CEO Clement Tam shed light on the potential and challenges of nuclear medicine in Hong Kong, and shared about the journey of ZERO Biotech.
Nuclear medicine is an important and proven medical approach that enables precise tracking and killing of cancer cells, offering patients a high efficacy and less side effect treatment option, particularly when traditional treatment methods are exhausted. Despite its immense therapeutic efficacy, the implementation of nuclear medicine faces various challenges, such as high cost, insurance companies often lacking of sufficient understanding, public concerns of "radiation", and healthcare professionals reliance on conventional treatment methods. This presents a big challenge of promoting nuclear medicine in Hong Kong.
During the interview, Clement highlighted the 3 key components of radiopharmaceuticals, which comprises targeting molecules as tracers to trace specific targets such as cancer cells, radioactive isotopes as payload to kill the target, and linkers to link the isotopes and targeting molecules. He also introduced the concept of "theranostics" in nuclear medicine, which integrates diagnosis and therapy. This approach involves using weaker isotopes for initial diagnostic scanning, followed by the use of stronger isotopes to precisely target and eliminate cancer cells.
Clement shared the “iPhone moment” for nuclear medicine in 2018, when the pharmaceutical giant Novartis acquired the French nuclear medicine developer AAA (Advanced Accelerator Applications) and its drug Lu177 DOTATATE which treats neuroendocrine tumor, the cancer that took away Steve Jobs'. The sales was strong after getting FDA approved in the same year. Clement also shared the strong M&A market in radiopharmaceuticals. In 2023, pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb acquired radiopharmaceutical startup RayzeBio for $4.1 billion, and Eli Lilly also acquired Point Biopharma for $1.4 billion. Such M&As in such a weak capital market are significant.
Clement expressed the concern of low awareness of the nuclear medicine sector in healthcare and finance media in Hong Kong and in Asia. However, he saw this is a great opportunity for ZERO Biotech to strive for a leading position in the field in Asia. ZERO Biotech has already been partnering with the medical universities in Hong Kong to adapt the radioligand therapy treatment for Asian patients, and will be partnering with renowned research institutes in Asia for developing novel treatment.
One of the current biggest challenges of nuclear medicine is the stable supply of therapeutic medical isotopes, Clement mentioned. It becomes a national technological issue for the over-reliance of importing medical isotopes. With increasing collaboration in healthcare between Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area, are there opportunities to produce medical isotopes with non reactors alternative methods in the Greater Bay Area or other mainland cities? ZERO Biotech is happy to collaborate with the government and local universities in solving the issue together.
Full interview article (in Chinese)
https://unwire.pro/2024/03/14/nuclear-medicine-in-hongkong/feature/