Ferronova cancer tracers ready for human trials
An Adelaide company’s SA-made tiny cancer tracers are ready to be put to the test in first human trials on patients at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
SA Business
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SA company Ferronova has produced its first tiny cancer tracers for their journey into the human body in an attempt to find a new pathway to early detection of solid tumour cancers.
Ferronova’s specialist polymer-coated iron oxide nanoparticles, made to global standards at a lab in Mawson Lakes, will be injected into cancer patients at the Royal Adelaide Hospital shortly, following key approvals.
The technology is designed to increase the accuracy of identifying the early spread of solid tumour cancers, including those in the head and neck, prostate, breast, colon, cervix, and lung of which there are over 10 million new cases globally per year.
Ferronova’s nanoparticles are injected in four locations into tissue around primary tumours where they then travel to nearby lymph nodes, following the same pathway as cancer cells.
The lymph nodes are imaged using MRI and detected using surgical magnetic detectors or infra-red cameras, including those on robotic surgery equipment.
After surgery, the remaining nanoparticles are designed to be rapidly excreted from the body.
The current best practice to check for cancer spreads is for surgeons is to remove a large number of lymph nodes, including healthy ones, to test them in pathology labs.
And there is very little detection of cancers that are small.
“Ferronova is the first, perhaps globally, to produce these nanoparticles in a manner that helps them to behave as intended,” Ferronova chief executive Stewart Bartlett said.
“Globally other nanoparticles have either clumped together and/or not behaved as expected.
“Our preclinical trials have given us good confidence about our predictions around the human trials,” he said.
“For many cancers if the tumour is detected early it can be cured by surgery alone. However, too many early stage solid tumour cancers re-occur because cancer cells in lymph nodes are missed.
“Our nanoparticles are designed to ensure radiologists, surgeons and pathologists have the technology they need to detect sub-millimetre metastasis in lymph nodes, which then accurately informs therapeutic treatment.”
“Our accuracy expectation is in the high 90s (percentage),” Mr Bartlett told The Advertiser.
The polymer coating used by Ferronova’s nanoparticles is under licence from the University of Sydney.
Ferronova was spun out of nanoparticles research led by the University of SA and Victoria University in New Zealand and has the backing of major IP investor, Powerhouse Ventures, UniSA Ventures and VicLink and a couple of high net worth investors.
The business is currently raising $2 million for a number of general and targeted human trials in cancer patients in Australia and overseas with the aim of reaching up to 120 patients by the end of next year.
The first trial at the RAH will involve up to 10 patients.
“This milestone enables the company to start an exciting journey to improve outcomes for cancer patients,” Mr Bartlett said.
University of South Australia PhD scientist Valentina Milanova and Professor Benjamin Thierry are collaborating on the trials.
Working with Ferronova on new cancer technology was an outstanding opportunity for SA women in science,” Ms Milanova said.
“Being at the cutting-edge of nanotechnology in medicine is really exciting and it’s wonderful that we can be driving this innovation from South Australia.
“New medical technology like that of Ferronova is designed to help the diagnosis and treatment of many early stage cancers, and that means we’re helping to save people’s lives. I think I’ve chosen the right career.”