Advanced Accelerator Application SA (NASDAQ:AAAP) has inked a NETSPOT distribution deal with Cardinal Health Inc (NYSE:CAH), bringing to two the number of partners tapped to supply the patented product. NETSPOT is a kit that prepares the injection of Ga 68 dotatate for injection for the localization of tumors in PET scans.

AAAP said that the agreement gives Cardinal Health the rights to supply NETSPOT to hospitals and imaging centers in the U.S. The company hopes that the deal with Cardinal will ensure that NETSPOT is available in all treatment and diagnosis locations where strong demand for the product is expected.

Extensive network

AAAP is betting that it can tap into Cardinal Health’s extensive network and expertise in the distribution of kit-based products to make NETSPOT broadly available in the U.S., thus unlocking more sales opportunities for the product.

Advanced Accelerator Application CEO Stefano Buono said that the distribution agreement with Cardinal is non-exclusive. That means that AAAP is free to sign up multiple similar deals with other distributors to carry NETSPOT in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Besides betting on the reputation of distribution partners to make NETSPOT popular, AAAP also touts the product as important in improving the accuracy of diagnosis and reducing patient’s radio exposure. NETSPOT is designed for use in both adult and pediatric patients.

AAAP didn’t disclose the financial terms of the NETSPOT distribution agreement with Cardinal Health. It limited itself to saying in a press release that it expected mutual benefits in the arrangement. While AAAP will be enjoying exposure to an extensive distribution network for NETSPOT in the U.S., Cardinal Health will be carrying a potentially lucrative product for the diagnosis market.

Other NETSPOT distributors

Cardinal Health becomes the second partner to be tapped for the distribution of NETSPOT. AAAP earlier this year signed Zevacor Pharma to carry the product, targeting advanced imaging centers.

NETSPOT has already received orphan drug designation.

Advanced Accelerator Application SA (NASDAQ:AAAP) has announced the expansion of its theranostic pipeline with the addition of NeoBOMB1, which it describes as a novel GRPR antagonist. The compound is being evaluated as a potential treatment for prostate cancer, breast cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumor.

According to AAAP, NeoBOMB1 recently underwent two independent studies that evaluated the compound on prostate cancer patients. The company is preparing to present data on the two studies at the upcoming annual meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). The event will take place next week in San Diego, California. AAAP’s presentation on NeoBOMB1 will be on June 14 and 15.

A promising compound

Listening to Advanced Accelerator Application’s management speak about NeoBOMB1, one may get the feeling that they are confident that they have a promising cancer compound in the works. In a statement, the company said that NeoBOMB1 is capable of binding selectively and with great affinity to the GRP receptors that are expressed by many types of tumors. The company went further to say that the receptors that NeoBOMB1 has shown have an ability to bind with important targets when it comes to dealing with diagnostic and therapeutic issues around various cancers.

Based on a successful formula

According to AAAP’s CEO Stefano Buono, NeoBOMB1 is based on the same successful formula that has been applied in the development of lead compounds Lutathera and Somakit. It is worth pointing out that Somakit was recently cleared by the FDA.

THe company acquired rights to NeoBOMB1 from the original developers at Demokritos and Erasmus University Medical Center. The company is planning additional studies on the compound to assess how it performs in relation to prostate cancer, breast cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumor.

AAAP generated revenue of about $30.7 million in 1Q2016, up nearly 30% YoY. Its net loss of $3.39 million in the latest quarter shrank from a net loss of $6.72 million in the comparable period a year ago.

ITEL has announced its partnership with Advanced Accelerator Application SA (NASDAQ:AAAP) for the purpose of manufacturing and commercializing F-18 radiopharmaceuticals to imaging centers and hospitals in selected areas within Southern Italy.

The newly signed contract between the two companies establishes that once ITEL completes all qualification procedures and receives authorization from the Italian Medicine Agency, it will manufacture F-18 radiopharmaceuticals under AAA license. Production would take place in ITEL’s plant in Ruvo di Puglia. ITEL will then commercialize them across PET centers located in select regions of Southern Italy using its business unit ITELPHARMA.

Advanced Accelerator’s key F-18 product is Gluscan, which is its branded fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET imaging agent that assists in the diagnosis of acute diseases mainly in oncology by assessing glucose metabolism.

Speaking after signing the partnership, Leonardo Diaferia, President of ITEL noted that the collaboration would help them operate not only in Apulia but also in other nearby locations. The partnership also gives them the chance to offer a more comprehensive selection of F-18 radiopharmaceuticals to nuclear medicine department.

Wilma De Feudis, Managing Director of ITEL, expressed their delight in the partnership with Advanced Accelerator. He noted that this agreement rewards ITEL’s experience in producing FDG which it started back in 2009 as well as their investment in human resources and facilities.

He further pointed out that ITEL has a double production line, and this will ensure that they can timely deliver radiopharmaceuticals to nuclear medicine facilities for the benefit of partners and above all patients.

Stefano Buono, the CEO of Advanced Accelerator, noted that the company is very active in the European F-18PET market with 13PET product facilities based in Germany, Poland, France, Portugal, Poland and Spain. This agreement will reinforce its position as one of the leading companies in the F-18 PET market in Italy.

Advanced Accelerator Application announced its fourth quarter and full year 2015 financial results. The key highlight was that the company reported a year-on-year increase of 26.8% in sales for the full year and 14% for the fourth quarter of 2015.