Actinium: Improving access to CAR-T therapy

With its molecular-targeted radio-therapy Iomab-B showing promise and in a pivotal Phase III for bone marrow transplant, USA-based Actinium Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: ATNM) has initiated a program to use lower dose (Iomab-ACT) to boost safety and efficacy of the much vaunted CAR-T therapy in blood cancers, comments Dr Chris Redhead, an analyst at Goetzpartners Securities Research.

While the tens of billions US dollars spent on CAR-T assets highlight the potential, the extreme cost and safety concerns surrounding CAR-T have so far held back uptake of the two marketed products Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel, from Novartis [NOVN: VX]) and Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel, from Kite Pharma/Gilead Sciences [Nasdaq: GILD]).

Barriers to reimbursement