Industry partnership seeks to bolster supply of radioisotopes
A new partnership between companies that specialize in radiopharmaceuticals could help to bolster the supply chain of valuable radioisotopes.
California-based Nusano—a physics company that produces dozens of radioisotopes—and Berlin, Germany-based Ariceum Therapeutics, which develops targeted radiotherapeutic treatments, have agreed to a multi-isotope collaboration that will support Ariceum’s pipeline of radiotherapeutics. The duo shared the news Tuesday, highlighting their partnership's plans to improve oncologic care.
“Radiotherapeutics have the potential to redefine the standard of care in oncology,” Manuel Sturzbecher-Höhne, chief technology officer of Ariceum Therapeutics, said in an announcement. “This agreement further strengthens our ability to advance 225Ac-SSO110, which is currently being investigated in a Phase 1/2 trial in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer and Merkel cell carcinoma. Reliable access to actinium-225 ensures we can deliver on our commitment to developing transformative therapies for patients facing these aggressive and underserved cancers.”
As part of the agreement, Ariceum will gain access to a multitude of Nusano-produced radioisotopes, including actinium-225 (Ac-225) and lutetium-177 (Lu-177). Both are routinely used in therapies that treat neuroendocrine tumors, while Lu-177 is prevalent in prostate cancer treatment.
This new access, combined with Nusano’s patented particle acceleration technology, could significantly increase the production output of these critical isotopes. Nusano’s platform enables the manufacturing of up to 12 different radioisotopes at a time, paving the way for the duo to scale production.
“Nusano’s production capabilities are designed to stabilize supply chains and enable innovation,” said Chris Lowe, CEO of Nusano. “Our scalable production allows us to work with drug developers from the earliest stages through commercial drug availability. We look forward to working with Ariceum on their current and future therapeutic candidates.”
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In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.