NRG|PALLAS and Curium Expand Cooperation in Lu-177 Production

NRGIPALLAS (ENS Corporate Member) and Curium have signed a long-term agreement to expand the current cooperation to include the production of lutetium-177 (Lu-177).

This agreement will enable Curium to supply about 70,000 doses of Lu-177 annually, which will help about 14,000 patients per year.

Curium and NRG I PALLAS have been partners in the production of key medical isotopes since the mid-nineties.

Two years ago, the two companies also signed a multi-year contract for the production of molybdenum-99, the starting material for technetium-99m (Tc-99m).

NRG I PALLAS’ HFR reactor and Curium’s Lu-177 production facility are both located at the Energy & Health Campus in Petten, which also means that no time is lost in the production of lutetium (half-life) and the nuclear medicine can reach patients as quickly as possible.

Lu-177 is currently used in hospitals to treat neuroendocrine tumours. Neuroendocrine cells are found primarily in the organs of the digestive system, including the stomach, pancreas and intestines.

Among other things, lutetium-177 is a very promising radioisotope used in the fight against prostate cancer and dozens of other applications in the near future.

Furthermore, the need for lutetium-177 is expected to grow exponentially: from 16,000 patients in 2020 to 138,000 patients in 2026.

NRG|PALLAS announced earlier this year the launch of the first cycle of irradiation of the year focusing on lutetium for medical applications, started in mid-January, with the reactor typically running 8 to 9 production cycles annually, supplying radioisotopes for treating a third of patients worldwide.

Read the full NRG|PALLAS Press Release.

Nuclear medicine and medical isotopes benefit thousands of patients every day in current clinical practice and have great potential for future clinical challenges.

Last year, ENS, together with Euratom Supply Agency (ENS Member), organised the event Beating Cancer – turning the tide with medical isotopes, which gave us the opportunity to learn more about those amazing developments and to discuss the challenges ahead.

You can find its recording and all materials in our Special Newsletter.