NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes announced that it has achieved a major milestone in its efforts to deliver commercial-scale production of the scarce therapeutic radioisotope actinium-225 (Ac-225). A custom-built IBA Rhodotron TT 300-HE (High Energy) electron beam accelerator has been delivered to NorthStar’s new Ac-225 Production facility in Beloit, Wisconsin and installed in a specially designed building. This state-of-the-art facility will be dedicated exclusively to the production of non-carrier added (n.c.a.) Ac-225 and is part of NorthStar’s expansion plan to ensure scalable, reliable and environmentally preferable production of Ac-225 for treatment of patients with cancer and other serious diseases.
Ac-225 is a high energy alpha-emitting radioisotope of increasing interest by the medical community for use in clinical studies that use targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT). RPT combines specialized molecules with therapeutic radioisotopes, such as Ac-225 or copper-67 (Cu-67), to directly target and deliver therapeutic doses of radiation that destroy cancer cells in patients with serious disease, while sparing healthy tissue. Availability of Ac-225 for clinical trials, research, and eventual commercialized products is inadequate, due to limitations of current production technologies. Successful commercial-scale production is critical to ensuring that this promising therapeutic option is available for patients.
NorthStar is positioned to be the first commercial-scale producer of the therapeutic radioisotopes Ac-225 and Cu-67 and is applying its expertise in production technology to provide robust, reliable supply for advancing clinical research and supplying commercial radiopharmaceutical products. The electron accelerator technology will produce high purity, non-carrier added (n.c.a.) Ac-225 that is free of long-lived radioactive byproducts associated with other production meth
