NEVA SGR: INTESA SANPAOLO INVESTS IN NUCLIDIUM'S NEXT-GENERATION CANCER RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS

• With this new investment, NUCLIDIUM will develop its innovative copper-based proprietary radiotheranostic platform, which provides a combined approach to cancer diagnosis and treatment.
• Mario Costantini: "NUCLIDIUM has the potential to profoundly innovate precision oncology and change the way radiotherapy care is delivered. We look forward to contributing to its growth and fostering collaboration with clinical facilities, research centres, and Italian companies in the industry.”
• Leila Jaafar: "Our copper-based radiotheranostics are developed for seamless use in hospital workflows, care delivery and waste management, making these therapies more accessible worldwide."

Turin, 18 July 2025 - Neva SGR, the Intesa Sanpaolo Group's venture capital company, a full subsidiary of Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, has participated in a CHF 79 million (€84 million) funding round for NUCLIDIUM, a Swiss-German biotechnology company specialising in next-generation radiopharmaceuticals for cancer.

The new investment will enable NUCLIDIUM to accelerate the development of its innovative proprietary theranostic platform, which provides a combined approach to cancer diagnosis and treatment. NUCLIDIUM links tumour-targeting molecules with copper isotopes – Copper-61 for diagnostics and Copper-67 for therapeutics. The precise targeting enables a more accurate diagnosis or treatment and reduces damage to healthy tissue.

NUCLIDIUM is preparing to expand its worldwide production network, grow its international team, and strengthen strategic collaborations with hospitals and academic centres, initially across Europe and North America.

The platform realised by NUCLIDIUM overcomes the current limitations in radiotheranostics, such as suboptimal clinical efficacy and complex manufacturing. Diagnostic results from initial clinical trials in these indications show superior lesion detection and higher tumour-to-background ratios (tumour masses better visualized than adjacent healthy tissue), compared with clinically approved tracers, with a favourable safety profile. Early therapeutic data from the company’s two lead compounds, NuriPro and TraceNET, show strong tumour-to-background ratios in metastatic prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumours, including breast cancer.

"The investment in NUCLIDIUM confirms our commitment to selecting high-growth companies globally, with revolutionary patents and projects in the pipeline that can be applied on a large scale in the future, contributing to the solution of the planet's grand challenges, including the fight against cancer," says Mario Costantini, CEO and General Manager of Neva SGR. "NUCLIDIUM has the potential to profoundly innovate precision oncology and change the way radiotherapy care is delivered. We look forward to contributing to its growth and fostering collaboration with Italian clinical facilities, research centres and companies in the industry.”

'With the support from a strong European syndicate, including Neva SGR, NUCLIDIUM is entering the next clinical phases with its lead compounds to diagnose and treat metastatic prostate, neuroendocrine tumours and breast cancer,” says Leila Jaafar, MD, CEO and co-founder of NUCLIDIUM. "Our copper-based radiotheranostics are developed for seamless use in hospital workflows, care delivery and waste management, making these therapies more accessible worldwide. Our ground-breaking next generation copper theranostic platform also allows us to rapidly develop new targets across a wider range of cancers, particularly those highly relevant to women’s health.”

Since August 2020, Neva SGR has achieved the goals it set for its first three funds —Neva First for global investments, Neva First Italia dedicated to national companies, and Fondo Sei for the development of Italian innovation ecosystems — investing nearly €190 million in 43 fast-growing innovative companies and distributing approximately €13 million to its investors. Furthermore, thanks to the new funds Neva II and Neva II Italia, launched in September 2024, it has already invested an additional €45 million in five companies.

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