Exact Therapeutics has announced that its collaboration partner GE Healthcare has been awarded with an innovation grant from the Norwegian Research Council (NRC) of 16 million NOK to support the development of a ready-to-use formulation of Sonazoid for ultrasound imaging and therapy.

“We are very pleased with the award of this NRC grant, which brings a range of improvements and strengthens our partnership with GE Healthcare and supports an important part of the path to successful commercialization of our PS101 product,” says Dr Per Walday, Chief Executive Officer, EXACT-Tx.

The funding will support the development, the documentation and the regulatory approval of a non-lyophilised and ready-to-use liquid formulation of Sonazoid for ultrasound imaging, and regulatory approval for its use in ACT clinical trials. Academic groups Prof. Catharina de Lange Davies from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU, long term collaborator of EXACT-Tx) and the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Lyon), are also involved in the collaboration.

“Removing the lyophilisation – or freeze drying – process aims to help increase manufacturing capacity for Sonazoid, and this innovation grant is a significant milestone in our ambition to grow utilization of the product,” says Dr Sigrid Fossheim, Global Product Leader Ultrasound, GE Healthcare AS.

Photo of Per Walday: PCI Biotech