Research Focus

Oncology & Hematology

Area of Research

Development, clinical transfer and evaluation of radiotracers for molecular Imaging and cancer therapy.

• 2017 “A comparison of two novel molecular targeting systems for diagnosis and therapy in patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC)”, Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF Grant Number 320030_175544)
• 2018 “177Lu-PP-F11N phase 0b study”, Grant from Debiopharm as part of a License Agreement between Debiopharm and Paul Scherrer Institute and Agreement between Paul Scherrer Institute and University Hospital Basel
• 2018 “177Lu-PP-F11N phase I study”, Grant from Debiopharm as part of a License Agreement between Debiopharm and Paul Scherrer Institute and Agreement between Paul Scherrer Institute and University Hospital Basel
• 2021 “xSPECT-based myocardial perfusion scintigraphy: consistency of functional values and feasibility of myocardial uptake quantitation in patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease – pilot study”, Grant form Siemens for collaboration project 40
• 2021 “Comparison of a new high-resolution collimator with standard collimator technique in quantitative 99mTc-DPD SPECT/CT for the diagnosis of prosthetic loosening. Analysis of model specific uptake distribution around joint prosthesis in quantitative SPECT data using voxel-based morphometry”, Grant form Siemens for collaboration project 41
• 2021 “Combined beta- and Auger electron therapy using a novel somatostatin receptor subtype 2 antagonist labelled with terbium-161 (161Tb-DOTA-LM3) – a phase 0/ phase I study”, Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF Grant Number 32003B_205070)

National Collaborations

• Close collaboration with Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences, Villigen, Prof. Roger Schibli, Dr. Martin Béhé, Dr. Cristina Müller, Dr. Nicolas van der Meulen: 177Lu-PP-F11N, 161Tb-DOTA-LM3, 161Tb-PSMA
• Nuclidium AG, Basel, Dr. Leila Jaafar-Thiel: 61Cu-NODAGA-LM3, 61Cu-NODAGA-PSMA

International Collaborations

• Sahlgrenska University, Gothenburg, Sweden, Prof. Peter Bernhard, 161Tb dosimetry
• Siemens Healthineers, Hoffman Estates, Chicago, USA, Dr. Hans Vija: xSPECT
• Itm, Munich, Germany, Dr. Konstatin Zhernosekov: 177Lu-ITG-PSMA-1
• Technical University of Munich, Prof. Wolfgang A. Weber: 61Cu-NODAGA-LM3

Ongoing investigator initiated projects with own compounds (USB owns at least ¼ of IP, I am an inventor of these compounds (PCT/EP2021080220)):

• In this 2015 approved Debiopharm sponsored study (177Lu-PP-F11N medullary thyroid cancer and neuroendocrine tumor project; prospective single center clinical phase I study, ClinicalTrial.gov: NCT02088645) I act as the primary applicant and co-investigator. Based on this study we plan an application for a “temporary license” for using 177Lu-PP-F11N outside of clinical trials as salvage therapy (according to TPA Art. 9b). Collaboration with Paul Scherrer Institut.
• In this 2021 approved Swiss National Science Foundation application (161Tb-DOTA-LM3 neuroendocrine tumor project; prospective single center clinical phase 0/I study, SNF 32003B_205070, ClinicalTrial.gov: NCT0539146) I act as primary applicant and primary investigator. The dossier is submitted to Swissmedic, start of recruitment is planned in Q1 2023. Collaboration with Paul Scherrer Institut.

Ongoing investigator initiated projects:

• In this 2021 approved Swiss Hadron Foundation and Swiss Society of Nuclear Medicine sponsored study (177Lu-ITG-PSMA-1 prostate cancer project; multicenter, national registry-based, clinical observational study) I act a primary applicant and co-investigator.
• In this 2021 approved Siemens sponsored study (xSPECT-based quantification of myocardial perfusion imaging; prospective single center clinical imaging study) I act as primary applicant and co-investigator.
• In this 2021 approved Siemens sponsored study (xSPECT-based identification of prosthetic loosening; prospective single center clinical imaging study) I act as primary applicant and co-investigator.