NORTH BILLERICA, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lantheus Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: LNTH), parent company of Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc. (“LMI”), a global leader in the development, manufacture and commercialization of innovative diagnostic imaging agents and products, today announced a strategic collaboration with Insightec Ltd., a global healthcare company focused on the therapeutic power of acoustic energy. Under the agreement, Lantheus’ microbubbles will be used in combination with Insightec’s investigational MR-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) platform to evaluate treatment of glioblastoma and neurodegenerative conditions. The collaboration directly aligns with key Lantheus growth strategies of pursuing new applications for its microbubble franchise and expansion into oncology.

Under the terms of the agreement, Lantheus’ microbubbles will be used together with Insightec’s MRgFUS platform designed to deliver ultrasound energy deep in the brain with no incisions. The microbubbles, combined with the application of focused ultrasound, are being investigated in the temporary disruption of the blood brain barrier to potentially allow for more effective delivery of chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of glioblastoma patients. Glioblastoma is the most aggressive malignant primary brain tumor affecting 3.19 Americans per one hundred thousand and has a less than 5% five-year survival rate.1

Lantheus will supply its microbubbles and activation devices while Insightec will be responsible for future regulatory submissions and commercialization. The deal terms include a transfer price and royalties.

“We are thrilled to partner with Insightec to further expand our microbubble franchise within oncology and potentially neurodegenerative conditions,” said Mary Anne Heino, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lantheus. “Our collaboration with Insightec could help change the paradigm in glioblastoma, an aggressive cancer for which patients and clinicians unfortunately have few options, and where the unmet medical need is truly significant.”

“Focused ultrasound has strong potential to transform the treatment of diseases that currently have poor outcomes and few options. Partnerships, like this one with Lantheus, will help Insightec’s future customers push the boundaries of what is possible in providing care to patients with neurooncologic as well as neurodegenerative diseases,” said Maurice R. Ferré MD, Chairman and CEO of Insightec.


About Glioblastoma
There are approximately 12,500 new cases of glioblastoma in the United States each year. Glioblastoma is the most commonly occurring primary malignant brain tumor, accounting for over 48% of all malignant tumors.2 Overall, median survival for glioblastoma patients is 12-15 months. Glioblastoma has a poor prognosis due to its high rate of tumor recurrence, which has been described clinically as inevitable.3 Worldwide, there are more than 240,000 estimated deaths from brain and central nervous system cancers each year, and glioblastoma represents one of the most common and lethal forms of these cancers.4


About Lantheus Holdings, Inc.
Lantheus Holdings, Inc. is the parent company of Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc., Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and EXINI Diagnostics AB, and a global leader in the development, manufacture and commercialization of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic agents and products. Lantheus provides a broad portfolio of products, including the echocardiography agent DEFINITY® Vial for (Perflutren Lipid Microsphere) Injectable Suspension; TechneLite® (Technetium Tc99m Generator), a technetium-based generator that provides the essential medical isotope used in nuclear medicine procedures; AZEDRA® for the treatment of certain rare neuroendocrine tumors; and RELISTOR® for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation, which is partnered with Bausch Health Companies, Inc. The Company is headquartered in North Billerica, Massachusetts with offices in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Canada and Sweden.