Cellectar Biosciences has been awarded $1.98 million in additional grant funding by the National Institute of Health’s National Cancer Institute (NCI), the company announced today.

According to a release, the grant will expand Cellectar’s ongoing Phase 1 study of iopofosine I 131 (iopofosine) in children and adolescents with inoperable relapsed or refractory high-grade gliomas (HGGs)

“The approximately $2 million non-dilutive grant funding from the NCI’s peer-reviewed process is additional validation that iopofosine has shown encouraging potential in this very difficult to treat patient population,” Cellectar CEO James Caruso said in a statement.

The funding also will allow for an expansion from Part 1a of the Phase 1 pediatric study into the Part 1b portion, which is designed to identify the dose and dosing regimen that results in optimal efficacy.