Milestone Lays Foundation for Scalable Supply Chain Designed to Meet Growing Demand of Promising Medical Radioisotope in Oncology
CHALK RIVER, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Actineer, a joint venture between Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) and ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE (ITM), today announced the successful completion of a closed-loop process to recycle Radium‑226 (Ra-226), the essential precursor material of Actinium-225 (Ac-225), a rare medical radioisotope that is highly sought-after for its role in the development of targeted alpha therapy (TAT) in oncology.
This critical milestone supports reliable, long-term commercial supply for TAT developers by establishing self-sustaining Ra‑226 reclamation and enabling repeatable, high-yield production of Ac-225. In this process, Ra-226 material can be recovered, purified to meet stringent specifications, and re-introduced into production without degradation in performance across multiple cycles. For developers, the innovative closed-loop system will reduce dependence on constrained global Ra-226 inventories, improve Ac-225 supply predictability and cost stability, and accelerate production timelines while substantially reducing waste generation.
Monica Regalbuto, Vice President of Science and Technology at CNL, said, “CNL has played a key role in enabling access to Ra‑226 for the production of Ac-225, and through our joint venture with ITM, we are helping establish a reliable and sustainable, long-term supply of Ac-225, while minimizing environmental impact and waste generation associated with other technologies. This collaboration shows that through Actineer’s innovative process, together with CNL and ITM’s expertise, we could efficiently recycle Ra‑226 while maintaining consistent product quality and yield across production cycles, supporting reliable batch-to-batch reproducibility.”
This collaboration reinforces the cyclotron-based production pathway, a cornerstone of the joint venture’s strategy. Building on the proven effectiveness of the cyclotron route in which Ra-226 is bombarded with protons to generate Ac-225, the approach offers several key advantages over alternative production methods, including lower Ra-226 requirements per MBq of Ac-225 produced, reduced activity decay losses to improve usable yield, and high radionuclidic purity suitable for clinical applications.
Joseph Oliverio, President and CEO of Actineer, added, “By leveraging the cyclotron-based approach, Actineer could shorten production timelines to enable faster and consistent delivery, improve usable yield, and deliver Ac‑225 with the consistency required for clinical and commercial applications. This would ultimately benefit partners from early development through global launch, and people living with cancer who may benefit from Ac-225-based radiopharmaceuticals.”
By integrating highly efficient cyclotron-based Ac‑225 production with a robust Ra-226 recycling process and CNL’s extensive inventory, Actineer is well positioned to address the rapidly growing global demand for this valuable medical radioisotope. The company will also leverage ITM’s established manufacturing network and position as a leading supplier of medical isotopes to process and distribute the final product. With the successful demonstration of the Ra‑226 recycling process, Actineer is advancing towards routine commercial-scale production, developed for GMP compliance and to provide partners with confidence in the long-term availability of Ac‑225. This achievement reinforces Actineer’s dedication to securing sustainable Ac-225 for the global radiopharmaceutical industry and developers of the next generation of targeted alpha therapies, realized through the joint expertise of CNL and ITM.
About Actineer, Inc.
Actineer™ Inc. is a joint venture company between Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) and ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE (ITM) dedicated to advancing Ac-225 technologies, quickly securing supply, and producing industrial-scale quantities of this valuable, rare medical radioisotope for the treatment of cancer. Founded in October 2023, Actineer™ Inc. together with its strong supply chain collaborators seeks to progress Ac-225 development, production, and processing technologies. It has established short-term production capabilities that are expected to lead to significantly boosting international supplies, while working long-term towards the construction of a new Actinium Production Facility (APF) in Canada. The joint venture’s mission is to fulfil the unmet global manufacturing and production needs of this coveted radioisotope with significant potential in the fight against cancer. www.actineer.com
About CNL
As Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology laboratory and working under the direction of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), CNL is a world leader in the development of innovative nuclear science and technology products and services. CNL fulfils three strategic priorities of national importance – restoring and protecting the environment, advancing clean energy technologies, and contributing to the health of Canadians.
By leveraging the assets owned by AECL, CNL also serves as the nexus between government, the nuclear industry, the broader private sector, and the academic community. CNL works in collaboration with these sectors to advance innovative Canadian products and services towards real-world use, including carbon-free energy, cancer treatments and other therapies, non-proliferation technologies and waste management solutions.
To learn more about CNL, please visit www.cnl.ca.
About ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE
ITM, a leading radiopharmaceutical biotech company, is dedicated to providing a new generation of radiopharmaceutical therapeutics and diagnostics for hard-to-treat tumors. We aim to meet the needs of cancer patients, clinicians and our partners through excellence in development, production and global supply. With improved patient benefit as the driving principle for all we do, ITM advances a broad precision oncology pipeline, including multiple Phase 3 studies, combining the company’s high-quality radioisotopes with a range of targeting molecules. By leveraging our two decades of pioneering radiopharma expertise, central industry position and established global network, ITM strives to provide patients with more effective targeted treatment to improve clinical outcome and quality of life. www.itm-radiopharma.com
Contacts
Actineer Contact
Actineer, Inc
Science Collaboration Centre
286 Plant Road
Chalk River, Ontario, K0J 1J0 Canada
info@actineer.com
For media inquiries only: actineer@trophic.eu
