Researchers at the University of Missouri, Cancer Targeted Technology (CTT) and Isotherapeutics Group (ITG) discovered an innovative method to speed production of a cancer-fighting drug candidate.

The breakthrough means the prostate cancer drug candidate, known as CTT1403, could be produced more efficiently and reliably, and could lead to the production of more doses for larger clinical trials.

CTT1403 has two main components: lutetium-177, one of the life-saving radioactive isotopes produced at the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR), and a targeting molecule. The lutetium-177 kills the cancer cells, while the targeting molecule selectively binds to proteins found on prostate cancer cells, leaving healthy cells largely unaffected.