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Quantum BioPharma Announces Joint Clinical Study With Massachusetts General Hospital Scientists to Validate a Novel Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Imaging Technique to Monitor Demyelination In Multiple Sclerosis

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Quantum BioPharma
Quantum BioPharma

TORONTO, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Quantum BioPharma Ltd. (NASDAQ: QNTM) (CSE: QNTM) (FRA: 0K91) “Quantum BioPharma” or the “Company”), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to building a portfolio of innovative assets and biotech solutions, announces that on March 31, 2025 it has entered into a joint clinical study with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) scientists to validate a novel positron emission tomography (PET) imaging technique to monitor myelin integrity and demyelination in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Dr. Pedro Brugarolas, investigator in the department of Radiology at MGH and Assistant Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School, is the principal investigator of the clinical study entitled “Preliminary Evaluation of [18F]3F4AP PET as a potential tool to monitor non-immunomodulatory drugs in multiple sclerosis.” Dr. Eric Klawiter, director of the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuromyelitis Optica Unit at MGH and Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, will serve as co-investigator. In the clinical study, serial [18F]3F4AP PET scans will be performed along with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in people with both progressive and relapsing-remitting forms of MS. In previous studies in rodents and monkeys, [18F]3F4AP was highly sensitive to demyelinated lesions, suggesting that it holds promise as a biomarker to monitor changes in demyelination in response to remyelinating or neuroprotective drugs in MS. PET imaging with [18F]3F4AP may thus complement MRI imaging by providing an ultra-sensitive and quantitative assessment of demyelination.

“We are very excited about the potential of this novel PET biomarker to directly visualize and measure demyelination in the central nervous system”, said Dr. Andrzej Chruscinski, Vice-President, Scientific and Clinical Affairs at Quantum Biopharma. “We expect that this biomarker will be an important diagnostic tool in future MS trials investigating therapies that can prevent demyelination and promote remyelination. This is very relevant to our Lucid-MS clinical development program as Lucid-MS has been shown to protect the myelin sheath and prevent demyelination in animal models of MS.”

Zeeshan Saeed, CEO of Quantum BioPharma, added, “We are glad to be part of this study and working with this team of scientists and physicians at Mass General in developing this PET tracer as a biomarker in MS.”

Dr. Brugarolas added, "[18F]3F4AP is a radiolabeled form of the drug dalfampridine which binds to K+ channels in demyelinated axons. As such we are interested to study its potential as a biomarker to identify and monitor responders to remyelinating and neuroprotective treatments for MS and we are excited to undertake this important work with Quantum BioPharma”.