Chris Pak
President & CEO Molecular Targeting Technologies
Dr. Chris Pak has three decades of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. Chris was formerly with Centocor, now a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson, where he invented and developed novel radiopharmaceuticals and participated in the filing of twenty IND applications for cancer and cardiovascular diseases. His recent inventions include surgical spray technology which can distinguish cancer from non-cancerous tissue and a patented fast-acting nanoparticle for anti-thrombotic use without bleeding. He has founded and directed multiple societies and organizations promoting Nuclear Medicine, Molecular Imaging and Entrepreneurship.
Dr. Pak has published more than ninety articles in leading nuclear medicine journals and holds numerous patents on therapeutic and diagnostic agents. His numerous awards include the 2019 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist of Greater Philadelphia, a Ben Franklin Emerging Business Award, State University of New York Alumni Honor Roll, and was the commencement speaker for the State University of NY at Plattsburgh in 2019.
Seminars
Radiopharmaceutical therapies are evolving rapidly, offering unprecedented opportunities for targeted tumor eradication, but these innovations come with unique safety challenges. The therapeutic potential of these agents depends on precise molecular targeting, optimal payload selection, controlled biodistribution, and accurate radiation dosing. Small variations in molecular design or pharmacokinetics can dramatically affect efficacy and off-target toxicity, making the design process both a scientific and clinical imperative.
This workshop will delve into insights regarding:
- Leveraging tumor biology, receptor expression, and disease-specific molecular pathways to optimize targeting moieties and payload combinations, improving selectivity and therapeutic index
- Understanding molecular, cellular, and organ-level toxicity mechanisms across radiopharmaceutical modalities, and implementing chemical, formulation, or dosing strategies to minimize adverse effects
- Using preclinical pharmacology, predictive simulations, and early human data to guide rational candidate selection, optimize safety margins, and accelerate clinical translation
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Outcome – Development of a framework for safer tumor-targeted radiopharmaceutical design, integrating molecular targeting, payload selection, and toxicity mitigation strategies to guide candidate prioritization and accelerate preclinical-to-clinical translation.
- Challenging traditional 3+3 dose escalation procedures for RLT dosing, given their limited efficiency and ability to capture cumulative radiation effects
- Comparing dose escalation versus dose accumulation strategies in radiopharmaceutical therapy, with emphasis on safety, exposure, and dose-response characterization
- Incorporating dosimetry-informed or model-based designs into early RLT trials to better link delivered radiation dose with safety and efficacy outcomes
