IBA and NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes Sign Contract for Rhodotron® Electron Beam Accelerator for Commercial Production of Therapeutic Radioisotope Actinium-225 (Ac-225)
Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium, and BELOIT, Wis., USA November 18, 2021 – IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A., EURONEXT), the world leader in particle accelerator technology, and NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC, (‘NorthStar’) a global innovator in the development, production and commercialization of radiopharmaceuticals used for therapeutic applications and medical imaging, today announced a new contract in which NorthStar will purchase a third Rhodotron® TT300 HE electron beam accelerator from IBA.
The accelerator will be exclusively used for the production of no-carrier added (n.c.a.) actinium-225 (Ac-225), an important therapeutic radioisotope that is in highly limited supply and for which no commercial-scale production technology currently exists. NorthStar previously purchased two Rhodotron® accelerators from IBA for its newly completed molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) production facility.
“We look forward to continuing to work with IBA, who have shown extensive commercial expertise and excellent performance in delivering electron beam accelerators for our Mo-99 production expansion project,” said Stephen Merrick, President and Chief Executive Officer of NorthStar. “NorthStar is at the forefront of U.S. radioisotope production as the only commercialized producer of the diagnostic imaging radioisotope molybdenum-99 (Mo-99). We are applying that same development expertise to rapidly advance large-scale availability of the therapeutic radioisotope Ac-225 for use in oncology and other indications, and we are excited about its potential in these disease areas.”
Olivier Legrain, Chief Executive Officer of IBA commented, “We are delighted to sign this latest contract with NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes and to continue to deliver innovative solutions for reliable radioisotope supply. IBA’s Rhodotron® accelerators provide the most advanced electron accelerator technology in the world, and we are excited for the opportunity to create new therapeutic radioisotopes such as Ac-225. With its radiotheranostic capabilities, combining targeted diagnosis and therapy, we believe that this radioisotope has significant potential in the treatment of cancer.”
The final stage of facility design is underway for NorthStar’s state-of-the-art Therapeutic Radioisotope production facility, which will be exclusively dedicated to Ac-225 production, with construction scheduled to begin in early 2022. Initial production of Ac-225 is planned for late 2023, and a Drug Master File will be submitted to the FDA in 2024. NorthStar’s proprietary process for the production of Ac-225 will use IBA’s Rhodotron® to enable commercial-scale n.c.a. Ac-225 production that is free of long-life radioactive by products associated with other production methods.