June 17, 2009 (FinancialWire) — Immunomedics, Inc. (NASDAQ: IMMU) announced further improvements on the company’s novel method for attaching fluorine-18 to peptides, one of which has been successfully tested for the PET imaging of receptor-expressing tumors in animals.

“We believe these studies provide additional confirmation that the concept of using a chelate to capture metal-bound F-18 can provide a general, convenient and rapid method for labeling peptides for use in PET imaging, including peptide receptors expressed in cancer,” stated Cynthia L. Sullivan, president and CEO.

The company recently reported a new way of preparing F-18 labeled peptides that are stable enough to be used for positron emission tomography or PET imaging, the most prominent imaging tools in diagnostic medicine. (Please refer to the company’s press release at www.immunomedics.com/news_pdf/2009_PDF/PR05182009A.pdf for more information on the labeling method).

Current PET imaging relies on the increased uptake of F-18, most widely given as the sugar analog, F-18 fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (F-18 FDG), by cancer and other cells that have abnormal glucose metabolism. However, F-18 FDG uptake is also accelerated in rapidly-proliferating normal cells (such as bone marrow), which may lead to false-positive results and lower specificity.

The goal of the first study presented at the meeting was to improve efficiency and yields of the new labeling method. By manipulating the chemical structure of the group that F-18 attaches to in a peptide, scientists at Immunomedics were able to label a new peptide, IMP-467, with 87% yield. In addition, attaching F-18 to the peptide was rapid, requiring only 5 minutes. Studies in nude mice revealed that the radiolabeled peptide is stable.

In the second study, the labeling method was applied to the PET imaging of gastrin-releasing peptide receptors. Bombesin is a small peptide that has a wide variety of pharmacologic effects, including the release of gastrointestinal hormones and control of gastrointestinal movements. Recently, there is evidence that increased BBN receptor expression is a marker for a variety of human cancers that include breast, gastric, pancreatic, prostate, ovarian and small-cell lung cancer.

Using the new labeling method, F-18 was attached to IMP-468, a BBN peptide that binds to gastrin-releasing peptide receptors, and studied in animals bearing human prostate cancer cells. Results showed that F-18-labeled IMP-468 specifically binds to the tumor and small intestine, and that it was stable for the duration of the study.

Immunomedics is a New Jersey-based biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on the development of monoclonal, antibody-based products for the targeted treatment of cancer, autoimmune and other serious diseases.

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