Investment: Starget

Amount: $5.1 million

Drug: DOTA-PTR-58

Target: Tumors overexpressing SSTR-3 in advanced cancers.

The firm: Based in Israel, Starget Pharma is developing radiotherapy programs using its proprietary peptide platform. This platform combines advanced cyclic peptide design with AI to create highly specific Smart Targeted Radioligands (STRs) for precise cancer imaging and treatment.

How DOTA-PTR-58 works: DOTA-PTR-58 is a smart cancer treatment that finds and attacks tumors with pinpoint accuracy. It uses a two-step approach: first, it helps doctors see the tumor clearly on scans using Gallium-68 (Ga-68), a marker that emits signals picked up by imaging machines to highlight cancer cells. Then, it delivers targeted radiation using Lutetium-177 (Lu-177), which emits energy to destroy the tumor while minimizing harm to healthy tissue.

How it’s different: The drug combines diagnostic imaging (using Gallium-68) with therapy (using Lutetium-177), making it a theranostic drug that both locates and treats cancer, which is a more personalized and efficient approach to cancer care.

Trial: DOTA-PTR-58 will be studied in a Phase 1b clinical trial with enrollment beginning at MD Anderson and other cancer centers in 2025.

Website: https://stargetpharma.com/