TAE Life Sciences and University of Wisconsin-Madison to Bring Promising Accelerator-Based BNCT Cancer Treatment to the USA

University of Wisconsin–Madison intends to be the first US site to install the Alphabeam^™ BNCT system and execute the first clinical trials to focus on head and neck and brain cancers

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TAE Life Sciences (TLS), a global leader in advancing next-generation boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), and the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) announcing the intention to launch the first accelerator-based BNCT center in the United States. As part of this collaboration, UW would install the Alphabeam compact accelerator-based BNCT system developed by TAE Life Sciences. This significant milestone has the potential to pave the way for the adoption of BNCT in the United States.

As part of this proposal, UW and TAE Life Sciences will collaborate on research and development of Alphabeam and novel boron-10 drugs through pre-clinical and clinical studies on several cancer indications with high unmet need, including brain and head and neck cancers. Available in Japan, and currently being evaluated in clinical trials in several other countries, BNCT is a cutting-edge cancer treatment that selectively targets cancer cells while minimizing harm to healthy tissue. TAE Life Sciences, with its compact accelerator-based neutron source and novel targeted boron-10 drug development, is the only company to have a comprehensive BNCT solution that replaces earlier challenges with nuclear reactor-based BNCT and has the potential to establish accelerator-based BNCT as a mainstay cancer treatment in the United States. This announcement further builds upon the success TAE Life Sciences has had deploying its technology globally. To date, the company has installed its neutron beam system in China's Xiamen Humanity Hospital, which is currently running human clinical trials, and its Alphabeam will soon be installed at Italy's National Center of Oncological Hadrontherapy (CNAO).

“Our collaboration with the esteemed University of Wisconsin–Madison underscores the growing momentum and recognition of BNCT as a transformative cancer therapy,” stated Robert Hill, Chief Executive Officer of TAE Life Sciences. “By working closely with UW and the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, a leading cancer center renowned for its commitment to innovation, we aim to revolutionize the landscape for cancer treatment, and make even the most challenging cancers treatable with minimal side effects.”

Alphabeam is a patented neutron source developed for clinical BNCT that offers a breakthrough approach to cancer treatment. This combinational therapy utilizes targeted boron-10 drugs and low-energy neutrons to destroy tumors with no damage to healthy tissues. With this system, patients can undergo a short, minimally invasive treatment in just one or two sessions, providing a streamlined alternative to traditional cancer therapies.

“Today marks a significant milestone in the field of oncology in the United States,” said Dr. Zachary Morris, Chair and Paul Harari Professor of Human Oncology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. “Our collaboration with TAE Life Sciences brings together our expertise in clinical radiation medicine, translational research, and theranostics with the accelerator-based BNCT system, enabling us to harness the full potential of this advanced cancer treatment. Together, we aim to accelerate the development and clinical implementation of this therapy, ultimately providing patients with what we hope will be a markedly improved cancer treatment option that is currently not available anywhere else in North America.”

The Alphabeam BNCT system and novel boron-10 drugs are for research purposes and not available for sale.

About BNCT

BNCT is a combination treatment based on the reaction that occurs when a non-toxic compound containing boron-10 is irradiated with a low-energy neutron beam. BNCT differs radically from other radiation therapy and shows promise in becoming the next-generation cancer treatment. Research has shown BNCT has the capability of killing cancer cells that are resistant to traditional radiation therapy with limited harm to healthy tissue. Current advances in both neutron radiation technology and medicinal boron drug targeting are enabling BNCT’s potential to improve patient care while also improving treatment economics. To date, approximately 2,000 patients have been treated with BNCT at research sites worldwide.

About TAE Life Sciences

TAE Life Sciences (TLS) is a privately held biotechnology company committed to developing a new biologically targeted radiation therapy based on Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT). TLS is developing the next-generation targeted boron drugs and low-energy accelerator-based neutron source – optimized for an in-hospital BNCT program that can one day treat patients with the most aggressive and recurrent cancers. TLS has assembled a world-class, cross-functional team of clinicians, radiation oncologists, physicists, and other researchers to enable it to bring this technology to cancer patients who need it most. TLS’s drug and device are currently in development and have not been approved for sale. More information about TAE Life Sciences is available at www.taelifesciences.com.

About the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health is recognized as one of the nation’s leading institutions in health sciences education, research, and service. Founded in 1907 as the medical school of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, in 2005 it became the nation’s first school to integrate the disciplines of medicine and public health. With a deep commitment to a vision of healthy people and healthy communities, we translate discovery into application and interconnect clinical care, education and research. The school employs more than 5,600 faculty and staff and provides educational opportunities for nearly 3,000 students and postgraduate trainees. For federal fiscal year 2024, the school ranked #9 in the nation among public medical schools for NIH funding according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. Some of the nation’s leading researchers, educators, and clinicians are among the faculty, including several National Medal of Science recipients and National Academy of Science honorees.