German Tech Holding examines investment in prostate cancer diagnostics startup

German Tech Holding GmbH & Co. KGaA by Investor Relations Business news for the stock market German Tech Holding GmbH & Co. 2026/09:45 UTC+2) German Tech Holding is examining an investment in a BioTech startup with a disruptive radiopharmaceutical for cancer diagnostics Clinically proven zirconium-89-based method for PSMA-PET/CT imaging with several years of application and published clinical evidence Up to 100-fold higher tumour-to-background contrast improves the early detection and localization of tumour foci and metastases Clinical expertise of the research team around Professor Dr.

Samer Ezziddin, one of the leading experts in PSMA-PET imaging German Tech Holding is examining an investment of 10 % in Zirnostics GmbH Large and growing market for imaging-based procedures in cancer diagnostics Frankfurt/Main, 7 October 2026 — German Tech Holding GmbH & Co. KGaA (GTH), a holding company founded in 2012 and based in Frankfurt am Main, is examining an investment opportunity in a startup with a radiopharmaceutical for cancer diagnostics that is already in clinical use.

This is a zirconium-89-labelled tracer for PSMA-PET/CT imaging for the diagnosis of prostate cancer which, through delayed imaging, enables a significantly improved visualization and localization of tumour foci and metastases. The method has already been in clinical use for several years and is the subject of several published evaluations by the research team around Prof. Dr. Samer Ezziddin, Director of the Department of Nuclear Medicine at Saarland University Hospital, one of the leading experts in PSMA-PET imaging.

The Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) is a target structure that is frequently strongly expressed in prostate cancer cells and their metastases. The zirconium-89-labelled radiopharmaceutical (tracer) makes these visible in PET imaging. Unlike conventional PET tracers, zirconium-89 permits image acquisition several days after injection. This results in an up to 100-fold higher tumour-to-background contrast and thus in significantly more precise detection, that is, visualization and localization of tumour foci and metastases.

As a result, even small or previously hard-to-detect tumour foci and metastases can be made visible and additional disease foci identified that are not discernible in conventional PSMA-PET/CT. This is naturally of enormous importance for the therapy and its success. At the same time, the zirconium-89-labelled radiopharmaceutical is not more expensive to produce than conventional PSMA tracers and, owing to its significantly longer half-life, offers advantages in distribution logistics. The scientific basis is provided by several published clinical evaluations by the research team around Professor Dr.

Samer Ezziddin. An initial study involving seven patients examined the distribution of the zirconium-89-labelled radiopharmaceutical in the body, radiation exposure and later imaging time points up to 72 hours after injection. A further published study comprised 23 patients with recurrence of prostate carcinoma and previously negative gallium-68-PSMA-PET/CT. In 18 of the 23 patients, zirconium-89-PET/CT showed suspicious lesions.

2 ng/ml) and produced a positive finding in 72 %. With conventional PSMA tracers, the positivity rate in this patient group is only around 30 % according to a multicentre evaluation. In GTH's view, these data as well as the several years of application of the method underscore the potential for worldwide commercialization. A prerequisite for this is marketing authorization in the respective markets, which initially requires extensive clinical trials.

However, compared with clinical trials for therapeutics, these should not have to be designed as double-blind trials, should manage with smaller patient numbers and should take considerably less time, since the effect of radiopharmaceuticals is not only apparent after years but immediately. Following the diverse, successfully completed studies, there are no material doubts as to the capability of obtaining marketing authorization. For this purpose, the team recently founded Zirnostics GmbH, based at Science Park Saar in Saarbrücken, with Christoph Gerlinger as managing director.

In the Western hemisphere, prostate cancer is the most common new cancer diagnosis among men, accounting for about a quarter of all cases. External market studies assume a global volume of around 2 billion US dollars in 2030 for the market for PSMA-PET/CT radiopharmaceuticals — the leading preparation in the USA alone already generated revenues of around 1 billion US dollars in 2024. The zirconium-89-based PSMA tracer therefore already addresses an attractive market in imaging-based cancer diagnostics today. 2 billion US dollars in 2030 according to Grand View Research.

In GTH's view, these market indicators likewise underscore the potential for worldwide commercialization. GTH and its CEO and founder Christoph Gerlinger contribute their experience in the financing and development of young technology companies. GTH is examining its financing options for an acquisition of the investment in Zirnostics GmbH. Christoph Gerlinger: "For us, this BioTech investment opportunity combines an already clinically proven, strongly superior radiopharmaceutical, a renowned research and founding team and a very attractive growth market.

The zirconium-89 technology has already demonstrated its diagnostic advantages in several clinical evaluations and, on account of its proven, strongly superior detection rate, has the potential to establish itself as a disruptive, pioneering radiotracer for the more precise visualization and localization of tumour foci and metastases. " Prof. Dr. Samer Ezziddin: "The results are drastic in magnitude and impact for the further treatment of prostate carcinoma.

To this day, so-called blind radiation of a local recurrence presumed to be located in the pelvic region, which damages healthy tissue, is still very frequently carried out because tumour detection does not succeed. " About German Tech Holding German Tech Holding (GTH) is a holding company founded in 2012 and based in Frankfurt am Main. 2026. During its active years as a leading German venture capital provider under the name German Startups Group, GTH held stakes with great success in, among others, Chrono24, Delivery Hero, Fiagon, MisterSpex, Remerge and Scalable Capital.

To this day it holds investments including AuctionTech, SoundCloud and Thinksurance. Through its SaaS-based white-label solution PropNow for digital bidding and offer processes in the real estate market, AuctionTech is the European market leader. GTH pursues opportunities in the fields of artificial intelligence and biotech. Cognicare AI, a spin-off from GTH's investment in the company builder Softmax AI, addresses the structurally growing market for senior care facilities with highly sought-after AI applications.

Softmax AI plans several further spin-offs over the next twelve months for various product families already at an advanced stage of development for dedicated customer groups. 1 million euros. com (end) Emitter: German Tech Holding GmbH & Co. com ISIN(s): DE000A1MMEV4 (Share) Stock Exchange(s): Free Market in Dusseldorf, Frankfurt (Scale), Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate BSX [ source: ] (c) pressetext Nachrichtenagentur GmbH Ad-hoc and financial news distributed by pressetext.

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