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DNT Signs Collaboration Agreement with NCL
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Dendritic Nanotechnologies Inc. (DNT) has announced that it has entered into one of the first characterization collaborations with the Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory (NCL), an organization established by the National Cancer Institute to foster collaboration between the government and the private sector.
The agreement with NCL will focus on the characterization by NCL of DNT's STARBURST™ dendrimers as macromolecular dendrimer-based MRI contrast agents for sensitive, non-invasive cardiovascular diagnostics.
DNT's STARBURST and Priostar™ dendrimers are "smart" biopharmaceutical nanotechnology platforms that can be used to deliver precise quantities of a drug or contrast agent to a specific location within the human body.
DNT's dendrimers will be subjected to an assay cascade consisting of physical characterization, in vitro studies, and in vivo ADME/Tox protocols to determine their absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity.
DNT's proprietary dendrimer platform also serves as a targeted diagnostic and therapeutic delivery system for a wide variety of drugs to cancer cells and other diseases.
The intent of these studies is to generate data in support of an investigative new drug (IND) filing with the U.S. Food and Drug Agency (FDA). It is estimated that the NCL's characterization efforts will take approximately 12-15 months.
“Development of dendrimer-based MRI contrast agents for sensitive, non- invasive intravascular agents is highly desired in the medical world,” said Robert Berry, DNT's chief executive officer.
“DNT's STARBURST dendrimers have demonstrated intravascular properties that increase sensitivity and image clarity with potentially lower dosage compared to currently available general- use contrast agents.”
“DNT's smart nanostructures feature precise and predictable physical properties that make them especially useful in commercial applications requiring novel properties with nanometer precision.”
The collaboration agreement with DNT is one of the first characterization agreements entered into by the NCL and will be used to perform a preclinical assessment of DNT's intravascular dendrimer-based MRI contrast agents.
