Graphic supplied by Bruce Power. 2019Graphic supplied by Bruce Power. 2019
Midwestern

Bruce Power first to commercially produce isotope Lutetium-177

Bruce Power has received approval from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to take the next step forward for new isotope production. Bruce power is becoming the first power reactor globally to commercially produce Lutetium-177, an innovative therapeutic isotope used in the treatment of prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors.

This Project is an innovative partnership between Bruce Power, Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) ,ITM and IsoGen. Isogen is a joint venture between Framatome and Kinectrics to enable the use of CANDU reactors to produce medical isotopes needed to treat and diagnose patients with serious diseases world-wide.  ITM is a German based leading radiopharmaceutical biotech company focused on the development, production and global supply of medical radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals.

Bruce Power Chief Development Officer James Scongack, calls it a game changer for the supply of medical isotopes and the global medical community in the fight against cancer.

Scongack added, “This is another important step forward to utilize our CANDU reactors to provide a new large-scale capacity for production in the medical isotope supply chain, cementing Canada’s place as a global isotope superpower.”

“The Framatome team conducted extensive research and development in Canada and modified German technology for use in a CANDU reactor, which resulted in the first Isotope Production  system in a power reactor for commercial production of therapeutic medical isotopes,” said Curtis Van Cleve, President and CEO of Framatome Canada Ltd. “We applaud our partners at Bruce Power for their commitment to innovation that supports the continuous production of both electricity and medical isotopes, and to harnessing the therapeutic power of nuclear energy.”

The Isotope Production System (IPS), designed and manufactured by Isogen, will be used to produce Lutetium-177, an isotope used in nuclear medicines that allows for targeted and precise  treatments, destroying cancer cells while limiting damage to surrounding healthy tissue and organs. The irradiated Ytterbium targets obtained from the IPS will be processed at ITM premises, where the highly pure no-carrier-added (n.c.a.) Lutetium-177 will be produced in pharmaceutical quality. N.c.a. Lutetium-177 will be marketed globally by ITM under the brand name EndolucinBeta ® as well as leveraged for clinical supply to advance the company’s own pipeline

"The license granted by CNSC today marks a critical milestone for Isogen on our mission to provide lifesaving medical isotopes to the world,” said David Harris,CEO of Kinectrics. “This approval showcases the advantages of bringing together the significant investments and capabilities of the partners to advance the technology, and develop the safety, engineering and licensing packages necessary to introduce such a cutting-edge technology in a safe and reliable manner without impact to normal reactor operation.”

“It is great to see the progression in the installation of the Isotope Production System, which provides us with an additional reliable source to increase the scalability of our n.c.a. Lutetium-177 production for global supply as well as the further clinical development of our broad pipeline,” commented Steffen Schuster, CEO of ITM. “We look forward to leveraging our long-term partnership with Bruce Power to deliver Targeted Radionuclide Therapy to cancer patients worldwide.”

Bruce Power’s collaboration with Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) will see the partners jointly marketing new isotopes in support of the global fight against cancer while also working together in creating new economic opportunities within the SON territory by establishing new isotope infrastructure.

“It’s very exciting times for SON as we move forward to the next phase of the Isotope project with Bruce Power,” said Chief Lester Anoquot, Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation. “Many members of our community have been impacted by cancer in some way. We are proud to play a leadership role in the global fight against cancer, while building economic opportunities in our community.”

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