IBA and Jules Bordet Institute to lead IHI project Accelerate.EU to create complete Astatine-211 value chain

A EUR 16 million Initiative to Establish Strategic EU Autonomy in Alpha Therapies for Cancer

Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, October 3 – IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A., EURONEXT), the world leader in particle accelerator technology and the world’s leading provider of radiopharmaceutical production solutions, is pleased to announce that the European Commission has approved the financing of the Accelerate.EU project launching on October 1, 2024. IBA’s key role in this new project further reiterates its market leading role in supporting the production of novel targeted alpha therapies for cancer.

As the industry leader of the Accelerate.EU initiative, IBA will facilitate the development of a production network to enable greater access to targeted alpha therapy across the EU through the development of a new alpha-machine cyclotron as an in-kind contribution. IBA will also work in close collaboration with the Jules Bordet Institute, the academic and clinical Accelerate.EU coordinator, to manage the project.

The Accelerate.EU project, a groundbreaking EUR 16 million initiative, has been officially launched with the ambitious goal of establishing a resilient and strategic European autonomy in alpha therapies. This five-year project aims to enhance patient access to cutting-edge cancer treatments by creating a complete value chain for the production and clinical application of the alpha-emitting isotope Astatine-211 (²¹¹At).

The project has secured EUR 8 million in funding from the European Commission under the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI), matched by an equivalent in-kind contribution from industry partners. This collaboration brings together 17 leading European institutions and companies across 9 countries, blending academic expertise with industrial innovation. The project is co-coordinated by the Brussels University Hospital - Institut Jules Bordet and IBA.

The Accelerate.EU project is set to transform the landscape of cancer care by pioneering the development of novel radiotheranostic solutions to address unmet clinical needs. At the heart of this initiative is ²¹¹At, a highly promising alpha-emitting radioisotope with the potential to treat aggressive cancers such as triple-negative breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and glioblastoma. The project will focus on developing and testing new therapeutic agents, ensuring a robust and sustainable infrastructure for ²¹¹At production and treatment.

“By integrating the entire value chain—from bench to bedside—Accelerate.EU aims to streamline the supply of ²¹¹At across Europe, ensuring that patients have timely access to this innovative treatment. The project will also explore co-clinical approaches, where clinical studies run in parallel with preclinical studies, enhancing the ability to identify patients who are most likely to benefit from ²¹¹At therapy. The Accelerate.EU project is a significant step forward in cancer research”. said Prof. Hugo Levillain, PhD, Project Lead Coordinator at Institute Jules Bordet.

"As a global leader in particle accelerators, IBA is proud to bring its expertise and advanced technology to this transformative project. Accelerate.EU presents a unique opportunity to push the boundaries of cancer treatment by developing ²¹¹At theranostics and accelerating the production and clinical development. With the support of EU funding, we will equip our partners with dedicated state-of-the-art production solutions, offering hope to cancer patients with very limited treatment options. We are proud that our market leading technology is playing such an integral part in addressing the global demand for radiopharmaceuticals." said Charles Kumps, President at IBA RadioPharma Solutions.

About Accelerate.EU

The goal of Accelerate.EU is to establish a stable and reliable cross-European supply chain for ²¹¹At, ensuring broader availability and access to this promising treatment. The project also aims to develop a cutting-edge cyclotron and to enable the deployment of a distribution network to produce ²¹¹At for hospitals. As the project progresses, Accelerate.EU will continue to produce comprehensive educational and training content to support the deployment of these innovative solutions, ensuring long-term knowledge dissemination and impact across Europe. Acceletate.EU is supported by the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU) under grant agreement No [10173001]. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme and COCIR, EFPIA, Europa Bío, MedTech Europe, and Vaccines Europe.