Accelerate.EU granted by the European Commission with a funding of EUR 16 million to establish Strategic EU Autonomy in Alpha Therapies for Cancer
7 October 2024
Brussels, Belgium, October 3, 2024 – Accelerate.EU consortium is pleased to announce that the European Commission has approved the financing of the Accelerate.EU project.
The Accelerate.EU project, a groundbreaking EUR 16 million initiative, has been officially launched with the ambitious goal of establishing a resilient and strategic European autonomy in alpha therapies. This five-year project aims to enhance patient access to cutting-edge cancer treatments by creating a complete value chain for the production and clinical application of the alpha-emitting isotope Astatine-211 (211At).
The Accelerate.EU initiative, led by IBA and the Jules Bordet Institute, aims to develop a robust production network to expand access to targeted alpha therapy across the EU. As part of the project, IBA will contribute an advanced alpha-machine cyclotron, while the Jules Bordet Institute will coordinate the academic and clinical aspects, ensuring a collaborative effort to enhance cancer treatment options throughout Europe.
The project has secured EUR 8 million in funding from the European Commission under the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI), matched by an equivalent in-kind contribution from industry partners. This collaboration brings together 17 leading European institutions and companies across 9 countries, blending academic expertise with industrial innovation. The project is co-coordinated by the Brussels University Hospital - Jules Bordet Institute and IBA.
The Accelerate.EU project is set to transform the landscape of cancer care by pioneering the development of novel radiotheranostic solutions to address unmet clinical needs. At the heart of this initiative is 211At, a highly promising alpha-emitting radioisotope with the potential to treat aggressive cancers such as triple-negative breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and glioblastoma. The project will focus on developing and testing new therapeutic agents, ensuring a robust and sustainable infrastructure for 211At production and treatment.
“By integrating the entire value chain—from bench to bedside—Accelerate.EU aims to streamline the supply of 211At across Europe, ensuring that patients have timely access to this innovative treatment. The project will also explore co-clinical approaches, where clinical studies run in parallel with preclinical studies, enhancing the ability to identify patients who are most likely to benefit from 211At therapy. The Accelerate.EU project is a significant step forward in cancer research.” Said Prof. Hugo Levillain, PhD, Project Lead Coordinator at Institute Jules Bordet.
"As a global leader in particle accelerators, IBA is proud to bring its expertise and advanced technology to this transformative project. Accelerate.EU presents a unique opportunity to push the boundaries of cancer treatment by developing 211At theranostics and accelerating the production and clinical development. With the support of EU funding, we will equip our partners with dedicated state-of-the-art production solutions, offering hope to cancer patients with very limited treatment options. We are proud that our market leading technology is playing such an integral part in addressing the global demand for radiopharmaceuticals." Said Charles Kumps, President at IBA RadioPharma Solutions.
About Acceletate.EU
The goal of Accelerate.EU is to establish a stable and reliable cross-European supply chain for 211At, ensuring broader availability and access to this promising treatment. The project also aims to develop a cutting-edge cyclotron and to enable the deployment of a distribution network to produce 211At for hospitals.
As the project progresses, Accelerate.EU will continue to produce comprehensive educational and training content to support the deployment of these innovative solutions, ensuring long-term knowledge dissemination and impact across Europe.
Acceletate.EU is supported by the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU) under grant agreement No [10173001]. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme and COCIR, EFPIA, Europa Bío, MedTech Europe, and Vaccines Europe.
About LabLogic
Specialising in the detection and measurement of radioactivity, LabLogic is a manufacturer of instrumentation and software for the PET/Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Safety sectors. We have over 40 years of experience and expertise in providing solutions in highly-regulated environments. We have sold in over 100 countries and 18 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies are amongst our customers, meaning many of our solutions are the industry-standard. Our recent Investors in People Gold accreditation placed us in the top 17% of organisations to work for.
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