With Canadians living longer, our health care system is struggling to cope with the diseases of an aging population. Molecular imaging is a powerful new technology that dramatically improves the way diseases are diagnosed and staged by injecting molecules (“probes”) that seek out disease sites and then send a signal to a camera. The technique provides information about where the disease is and its biochemical makeup. This makes it possible for doctors to diagnose disease at an earlier stage and select the best therapy for each individual patient. Scientists in the field of molecular imaging face barriers to make their discoveries accessible to health care providers and global markets. Their ground breaking innovations remain locked in research labs.

How CPDC is seizing the opportunity

The Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization (CPDC) works collaboratively with industry and academic partners to provide the expertise and infrastructure needed to develop and manufacture molecular imaging probes. An important part of Canada’s health system, CPDC provides a reliable, daily supply of imaging probes to hospitals and leading research teams. CPDC’s areas of expertise include pre-clinical development of new probes, regulatory affairs, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and maintaining the systems and infrastructure needed to achieve Health Canada approval for clinical trials and the commercialization of innovative new products.

Among the results

CPDC successfully spun out Fusion Pharmaceuticals Inc., a new Canadian drug company developing therapeutics for the treatment of chemotherapy resistant cancers. Fusion has raised over US$150M in venture financing creating a new pharma company in Hamilton, Ontario. In June 2020 Fusion Pharmaceuticals Inc. became a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ (FUSN).
CPDC enabled the production of new diagnostics and therapeutics for prostate and neuroendocrine cancer patients. These agents are part of ongoing clinical trials in Ontario.
CPDC, TRIUMF, Advanced Applied Physics Solutions, the BC Cancer Agency and the Lawson Health Institute found a way to adapt existing cyclotrons in Canadian hospitals to produce Tc-99m, a medical isotope used in imaging that is critical to Canada’s health care system.
CPDC, TRIUMF, the BC Cancer Agency and the Lawson Health Institute co-founded ARTMS, a company working on solutions to adapt existing cyclotrons in Canadian hospitals to produce Ga-68, a PET-imaging medical isotope used in many different radio-diagnostic agents, as well as other medical isotopes.
CPDC launched a phase three clinical trial investigating the efficacy of a next-generation prostate cancer imaging agent, which has potential to provide a better diagnostic of prostate cancer in the pelvic region.
CPDC increased the number of molecular imaging probe manufacturing sites through the founding of CanProbe, a joint venture between the University Health Network (UHN) and CPDC, allowing the centre to supply more than 65,000 doses for patients in Canada.