AdvanCell Targets GI Cancer With Peptide-Driven Lead-212 Radiotherapy

Australia-based AdvanCell, a clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company, has entered a collaboration and exclusive licensing agreement with 48Hour Discovery, a Canada-based biotechnology firm, to develop a peptide-based Lead-212 radiotherapeutic targeting a gastrointestinal (GI) cancer with high unmet medical need. The agreement, announced on Feb. 2, 2026, reflects continued industry momentum toward targeted alpha therapies that pair potent radionuclides with precision targeting strategies capable of addressing tumors resistant to conventional treatments (1).

Under the agreement, the companies will combine 48Hour Discovery’s peptide-discovery platform with AdvanCell’s expertise in Lead-212 radioligand development. AdvanCell has obtained exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize the program. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“This partnership exemplifies how speed and precision can unlock entirely new therapeutic possibilities,” said Rick Finnegan, CEO, 48 Hour Discovery, in a company press release (1). “By pairing peptides from our novel discovery engine with AdvanCell’s development capabilities, we believe we can bring a truly differentiated therapy to patients who urgently need better options.”

How does this collaboration advance peptide-based alpha radiotherapy development?

Targeted alpha therapies are drawing increasing interest as developers seek modalities capable of delivering high-energy radiation directly to tumor cells while limiting off-target exposure. Lead-212, an alpha-emitting radionuclide, is viewed as a promising payload due to its physical properties and compatibility with scalable manufacturing. Translating these attributes into clinically viable therapies depends on identifying targeting molecules with favorable tumor uptake and pharmacokinetics (2).

The partnership is designed to rapidly identify and optimize peptide ligands suitable for radiolabeling with Lead-212. Compared with larger biologics, peptides may offer advantages including improved tissue penetration, flexible target engagement, and access to tumor-associated targets that are challenging for antibody-based approaches (3). By integrating peptide discovery with an established radionuclide platform, the collaborators aim to shorten development timelines and reduce translational risk.

AdvanCell’s Lead-212 platform integrates isotope supply, radiochemistry, and modular manufacturing to support repeatable radioligand development across multiple indications. This platform-based strategy is intended to enable parallel program advancement while addressing manufacturing and supply constraints that have historically limited radiopharmaceutical scalability.

“This collaboration with the 48H Discovery team supports our strategy to build a valuable pipeline, advances a second 212Pb program into the clinic in 2027 and reinforces our commitment to building a pipeline designed to deliver transformative impact for patients,” said Philina Lee, CEO, AdvanCell, in the release (1). “AdvanCell recently announced compelling clinical results for our lead program which gives us confidence our alpha technology can meaningfully change outcomes for patients in other cancers of high medical need.”

Why target GI cancers with alpha-emitting radiotherapies?

GI cancers remain associated with high morbidity and mortality, particularly in advanced disease settings where treatment options are limited. Precision radiotherapeutics offer a potential approach to selectively eradicate malignant cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue in anatomically complex organs (4).

Peptide-based targeting strategies may broaden the applicability of targeted alpha therapies beyond prostate cancer, where radioligand approaches have been most extensively validated.

What does this deal signal about the evolution of Lead-212 platforms?

The collaboration builds on AdvanCell’s existing portfolio of targeted alpha therapies, led by ADVC001, a Lead-212-labeled radioligand targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen. ADVC001 is currently being evaluated in a Phase I/II clinical study assessing safety, tolerability, and dose optimization in metastatic prostate cancer.

As platform-based radiopharmaceutical development gains traction, partnerships such as this highlight a shift toward scalable infrastructure and flexible targeting strategies. For the biopharmaceutical industry, the agreement underscores how Lead-212 platforms are evolving into repeatable development engines capable of supporting broader oncology pipelines (1).

References

1. AdvanCell. AdvanCell Announces Collaboration and Exclusive Licensing Agreement with 48Hour Discovery to Develop a Novel Peptide-Based Lead-212 Radiotherapeutic for a Gastrointestinal Cancer with Significant Medical Need. Press Release. Feb. 2, 2026.
2. Perspective Therapeutics. Targeted Alpha-Particle Therapy for Advanced Somatostatin Receptor Type 2 (SSTR2) Positive Neuroendocrine Tumors. clinicaltrials.gov. Last updated Nov. 24, 2025 (accessed Feb. 2, 2026).
3. Vadevoo, S. M. P.; Gurung, S.; Lee, H-S.; et al. Peptides as Multifunctional Players in Cancer Therapy. Exp. Mol. Med. 2023, 55, 1099–1109. DOI: 10.1038/s12276-023-01016-x
4. Matsuoka, T.; Yashiro, M. Precision Medicine for Gastrointestinal Cancer: Recent Progress and Future Perspective. World J Gastrointest Oncol. 2020, 12 (1), 1–20. DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v12.i1.1