ITM Medical Isotopes GmbH of Germany and Framatome-Kinectrics joint venture Isogen have signed a formal supply arrangement to provide a reliable supply of lutetium-177 (Lu-177) to the world's health-care system using Bruce Power's Candu reactors as a key supply source. The agreement follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed last November.

Lu-177 will be produced by irradiation in Bruce Power's Candu reactors (Image: Bruce Power)

The latest agreement defines the use of the new Isotope Production System (IPS), which is to be deployed in conjunction with ongoing life-extension work at the Bruce Power site. Designed and manufactured by Isogen, the IPS will also support the future production of other isotopes in addition to Lu-177. Development of the system is in its final phase of engineering, testing and design at Framatome's engineering facility in Kincardine, Ontario.

Lu-177 is produced by irradiating ytterbium-176 (Yb-176) which is placed in special sealed containers that are then conveyed into one of the Bruce Power reactors using the IPS. Around a week of irradiation produces intermediate Lu-177, which will then be sent to ITM for further processing into highly-pure pharmaceutical grade Lu-177 for distribution to health care facilities worldwide. Production of Lu-177 at Bruce Power is expected to start in 2022.

Bruce Power President and CEO Mike Rencheck described the IPS as a "game-changer", providing access to a key neutron source in the Bruce reactors and creating "unprecedented" capacity and redundancy of isotope production to improve global access to medical radioisotopes.

Pharmaceutical-grade Lu-177 is used in targeted radiotherapy to treat cancers including prostate cancer, neuroendocrine tumours and bone metastases. Demand for the isotope is growing.

"We are very pleased to further strengthen our partnership with Bruce Power and Isogen by signing this exclusive agreement which ensures us a consistent and reliable irradiation service for critically needed radioisotopes for the next 15 years," said ITM CEO Steffen Schuster. "This partnership will further increase the scalability of our production and thus ensure a steady supply of no-carrier-added lutetium-177 on a global scale, further increasing the availability of this promising treatment option to cancer patients worldwide."

Isogen President John D'Angelo said the combination of Isogen's proprietary production technology, the reliability and capacity of the Bruce Power reactors, and ITM's patented processing technology and supply network "set the stage to create the largest, most secure supply of Lutetium-177 in the world".

Steffen Schuster, CEO of ITM, said the partnership would further increase the scalability of ITM's production and thus ensure a steady supply of no-carrier-added lutetium-177 on a global scale, further increasing the availability of Lu-177 as a treatment option to cancer patients.

Isogen - a joint venture of French company Framatome and Kinectrics of Canada - was launched earlier this year to enable the use of CANDU reactors to produce medical isotopes for use worldwide. The joint venture has an enabling partnership with Bruce Power, giving it access to Bruce's eight Candu reactors.

ITM Isotopen Technologien München AG is a privately owned biotechnology and radiopharmaceutical group of companies for the development, production and global supply of targeted diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals and radioisotopes for use in cancer treatment.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News