Accelerate.EU, a European consortium integrated by the University of Coimbra (UC), will be financed with 16 million euros to develop, test, and distribute an innovative technology to improve cancer treatment in Europe.
The project aims to create a European network of research centres, hospitals, and companies that promote patient access to advanced techniques for cancer treatment – especially for the most aggressive types, such as triple-negative breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, or glioblastoma.
More specifically, a form of alpha therapy will be developed – based on Astatine-211 (211At), a very promising radioisotope in the field of nuclear medicine – an innovative therapeutic strategy that allows for the direct ‘attack‘ on cancer cells, aiming to alleviate symptoms and halt disease progression. Particle accelerators – cyclotrons – will be used for the development of this therapy, cutting-edge equipment that allows the production of radiopharmaceuticals for use, notably, in oncology.
This project, which will take place over five years, brings together 17 institutions and companies from nine countries. It is funded by European Commission funds within the scope of the Innovative Health Initiative (8 million), and by various industry partners (who also fund with 8 million). Accelerate.EU is led by the Belgian multinational IBA Radiopharma Solutions and the Jules Bordet Institute – Brussels University Hospital, and it collaborates with the Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS) of UC.
“This ambitious and innovative project combines academic knowledge with industrial innovation to create new therapeutic agents that can meet clinical needs across Europe regarding oncological therapies, thus improving the lives of people with cancer,” highlights the director of ICNAS, Antero Abrunhosa. “In addition to all the research and trials that will be developed within Accelerate.EU, there is also a plan to create a 211At production network aimed at hospital units given its highly promising treatment potential,” he adds.
Accelerate.EU also aims to ensure the continuous training and education of professionals, thereby securing knowledge and implementation of this innovative solution and ensuring the dissemination of knowledge in the field of nuclear medicine.
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