VANCOUVER and NEW YORK, May 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ARTMS Inc. a global leader in developing technology that transforms the production of the world's most-used diagnostic imaging isotopes, today announced that it has raised US$19 million in a Series A financing. The investment was led by New York based Deerfield Management Company with continued investment from Vancouver based seed investor GHS Fund (Quark Venture LP and GF Securities).

"We are thrilled to have this significant investment with such knowledgeable, high-caliber investors. This funding gives us the financial flexibility to leverage our QUANTM Irradiation System^TM (QIS^TM) technology and partner with customers to revolutionize the nuclear medicine industry by enabling global access to cyclotron-produced medical isotopes," says Charles S. Conroy, Chief Executive Officer of ARTMS Inc.

ARTMS' flagship product, the QUANTM Irradiation System^TM (QIS^TM) enables cost-effective, decentralized, and local production of important medical isotopes including gallium-68 (⁶⁸Ga), zirconium-89 (⁸⁹Zr), technetium‐99m (^99mTc) and copper-64 (⁶⁴Cu).  The award-winning technology utilizes locally-based medical cyclotrons, empowering the user to control their supply chain and produce high volumes of innovative high-quality radiopharmaceutical products. In 2019 ARTMS, demonstrated a world record ⁶⁸Ga production from a single, short-duration irradiation of QUANTM ⁶⁸Zn Target Plates. A single 90-minute run produced as much isotope as 200 commercially available generators. ARTMS has already proven the concept and clinical application for routine and high-yield production of ^99mTc.

ARTMS will use the financing to continue to collaborate with industry partners with the aim of developing cyclotron produced ⁶⁸Ga-based diagnostic and to expand the commercialization of the QIS^TM for the production of additional critical medical isotopes.

In 2020, ARTMS announced partnerships with ImaginAb, to explore a novel radiochemistry manufacture of ImaginAb's lead asset ⁸⁹Zr CD8 ImmunoPET, and  Telix Pharmaceuticals to develop proof of concept to manufacture TLX591-CDx – a Prostate Cancer Diagnostic. ⁶⁸Ga produced using the QIS^TM system will be used for the radiolabeling of TLX591-CDx.

"We strive to invest in companies that are working toward the development of innovative technologies to improve the way healthcare is delivered to patients.  We are delighted to support ARTMS to advance the QIS^TM technology as it has the potential to stabilize the global supply chain of vital medical isotopes," says James E. Flynn, Managing Partner at Deerfield.

"As the seed investor in ARTMS we are pleased to continue to support the company and the development of its groundbreaking technology.  The QIS^TM technology has the ability to satisfy the rapidly increasing demand for high-quality medical isotopes and unlock the potential of medical isotopes for diagnostic and therapeutic applications," says Karimah Es Sabar, Chief Executive Officer & Partner, Quark Venture LP and Director of the GHS Fund. 

ARTMS's initial founding technology stems from leading Canadian founding institutions, TRIUMF, BC Cancer, the Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization, and Lawson Health Research Institute, and has had continued support from partners at Alliance Medical, Western Economic Diversification Canada and National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP).

About ARTMS
Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, ARTMS Inc. is a global leader in the development of novel technologies and products which enable the high-quality and high-yield production of the world's most-used diagnostic imaging isotopes. ARTMS' flagship product, the QUANTM Irradiation System^TM (QIS^TM), enables decentralized, cost-effective, large-scale production of important medical isotopes such as of gallium-68 (⁶⁸Ga), zirconium-89 (⁸⁹Zr), technetium‐99m (^99mTc) and copper-64 (⁶⁴Cu) using local, hospital-based medical cyclotrons empowering the user to control their supply chain. ARTMS commercializes these award-winning and proprietary Canadian inventions on a global basis and has the prospect of revolutionizing the nuclear medicine industry.

For more information on the QUANTM Irradiation System™ and ARTMS, please follow us on Twitter @Quantm99 and LinkedIn and visit http://www.artms.ca/

About Deerfield Management 
Deerfield is a healthcare investment management firm committed to advancing healthcare through investment, information and philanthropy.

For information about Deerfield visit https://deerfield.com/

About Quark Venture
Quark Venture LP is a venture capital company focused on equity financing of innovative biotechnology companies with breakthrough technology platforms. Our strategic goal is to continually support such entrepreneurial biotechnology companies to efficiently improve the technology platform and obtain high-growth value by providing diversified healthcare products or services. Quark's proven success is achieved through long-term relationships with target companies that share similar technology innovation visions.  

For information about Quark Venture www.quarkventure.com

Kamran Shaikh, SR. Account Manager, PR Associates, Email: kshaikh@prassociates.com, Phone: +1 778 846 5406

SOURCE ARTMS Inc.