Park City— To meet the demand for more effective, modern choices to confirm and treat cancer, the clinical stage oncology company NuView Life Sciences has introduced a proprietary NV-VPAC1 peptide platform invented by Dr. Mathew Thakur and colleagues at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA.

A proprietary peptide construct targets the Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) receptors known as VPAC1, VPAC2, and PACAP overexpressed on the surface of cancer cells. Combined with medical imaging methods, NuView’s test provides physicians a more precise diagnosis and allows for targeted therapy delivery. The Cancer Consortium recently called NuView’s precision medicine technology a “breakthrough…uniquely positioned to confirm cancer” on the cell surface with greater than 95 percent sensitivity. (1)

NuView seeks to help patients avoid surgical biopsy

For patients, theranostics diagnostics avoids painful surgical biopsy and one-size-fits-all cancer treatment. The Society of Nuclear Medicine, which advances the science of molecular imaging, called theranostics “paintball targeting” cancer cells with precision therapy. (2)

To make this technology available as quickly as possible, NuView is collaborating with SpectronRx—a company that provides therapeutic and diagnostic isotopes for clinical and research use. The two are working together to produce the NV-VPAC1 in adherence to the quality standards of the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) system.

“SpectronRx has the staff, facilities and expertise to scale up and manufacture both the diagnostic and therapeutic,” stated John Zehner, the CEO of SpectronRx. “We have tremendous experience with the labeling and distribution of copper isotopes labeled to various molecular entities. Our facility was approved for three Positron Emission Tomography diagnostic drugs in 2012, we anticipate an additional FDA approval for a therapeutic in the next few months. We look forward to assisting with NuView’s approval in the very near future.”

Clinical testing yields 97 percent accuracy

Diagnostic imaging studies performed at Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) using the NV-VPAC1 peptide positively confirmed or ruled out the presence of cancer cells for breast, prostate and other cancers when combined with Positron Emission Tomography (PET) (3). Dr. Thakur and a member of NuView’s Clinical Collaborators panel, and his team at TJU noninvasively collect cells from bodily fluid (urine for prostate, nipple discharge for breast or lung lavage (rinse) for lung cancer imaging). The cells in these fluids are then exposed to NV-VPAC1 that binds with protein receptors on the surface of cancer cells allowing to detect cancer non-invasively under a microscope. As the cells are collected and tested separately, the patient is not exposed to any radiation. In clinical trials, TJU reports 97% accuracy in diagnosing prostate cancer, with similar success rates in an as-yet limited samples with lung and breast cancer.

The result is radioactive illumination under PET imaging which highlights occult malignant lesions efficiently. The results from the in vivo and in vitro studies can benefit everyone—improved diagnostic and therapeutic information for physicians along with increased relief and affordability for patients.

Precision cancer diagnostics and therapeutics theranostics

With over 100 types of cancers on record, each type of cancer is prone to diagnostic errors, costly screenings, and ineffective therapy. For example, approximately 50 percent of women experience false-positive mammography results, which leads many patients to be less likely to get future cancer screenings. (4) Such instances contribute to the estimated $200 billion in annual expenses due to unnecessary medical testing. (5)

However, by creating a precision cancer theranostic, a new field of medicine is emerging that combines a paired diagnostic with treatment modalities to provide a more personalized and precise approach. (6)

“The NV-VPAC1 is a unique molecular tool, with the ability to diagnose cancer in vitro, to localize it in vivo, to treat the primary and metastatic lesions and to allow one to determine the efficacy of therapeutic interventions,” says Dr. Thakur.

Future implications

Using the NV-VPAC1 peptide construct enables a more complete approach to disease management, combining both a binary diagnostic with a cell-specific therapy delivery mechanism.

“It is important to recognize that a fundamental shift is underway within our industry and the technologies that we believe in will drive our greatest opportunities,” says Paul Crowe, the CEO of NuView Life Sciences.

Crowe predicts that with better diagnostic capabilities and targeted treatments appropriate to individual patients, it will reduce costs to both patients and third-party insurance payers in the coming years. He believes NuView’s products are a solution to the demands for improved cancer diagnostic imaging and therapy worldwide.

About NuView Life Sciences

Founded in 2005, NuView Life Sciences is a clinical-stage oncology company located in Park City, Utah, advancing the way cancer is diagnosed and treated in our modern healthcare system. NuView is focused on creating precision binary cancer diagnostics and theranostics, providing clinicians more choices to improve patient outcomes while reducing healthcare costs through the development and clinical application of its exclusive peptide analog technology, NV-VPAC1(TM). Led by a team of industry experts with decades of combined experience in healthcare and medical imaging technologies, NuView is poised to introduce a new cancer diagnostic technology and subsequently deliver a theranostic approach for effectively treating cancer. To learn more, visit http://www.nuviewlifesciences.com.