Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium, 15 September 2021 – IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A., EURONEXT), the world leader in particle accelerator technology, and SCK CEN (Belgian Nuclear Research Center) today announce a strategic R&D partnership to enable the production of Actinium-225 (225Ac), a novel radioisotope which has significant potential in the treatment of cancer.

New perspectives in the treatment of cancer
Nuclear medicine has evolved considerably over recent years with the emergence of radiotheranostics, a modality which combines targeted diagnosis and therapy with radio-isotopes, offering an important alternative in the treatment of many cancers. Radiotheranostics is based on the use of radio-isotopes which, when they disintegrate, emit radiation that enables cancer cells to be precisely located and/or destroyed.


Actinium-225: fighting both prevalent and rare cancers
Among these isotopes, one of the most promising is alpha-emitting Actinium-225. This is due to its useful characteristics: in its decay, it kills cancer cells, having high cytotoxic potency within a very short range (limited to few cancerous cells while sparing surrounding healthy tissues). Moreover its half-life (10 days) enables a smooth process for logistics and centralized distribution. To date, extensive research and numerous studies are underway which aim to tackle both high prevalence cancers including prostate, lung, colon, breast, pancreatic, blood (leukemia and other rare forms) and kidney cancers, but also rarer forms of cancer like glioblastoma, the deadliest form of a very invasive brain cancer.

One of the main challenges to making this therapeutic solution accessible for the greatest number of patients is ensuring the availability of high-quality Actinium-225 in large quantities. By joining their unique expertise and resources, SCK CEN and IBA will be able to work towards the large-scale production of Actinium-225 for patient use. Concurrently, this collaboration will allow them to establish themselves as leading global partners in the production of Actinium-225.

A new generation of nuclear medicine
This strategic R&D partnership consists of an in-depth evaluation of the technical and economic feasibility of the project. Based on the outcome of this first phase, SCK CEN and IBA plan to undertake the construction and commissioning of a production unit on the SCK CEN site in Mol, Belgium.

Alignment with Belgian coalition agreement and European recovery plan
This collaboration highlights the implementation of the Belgian coalition agreement, which pledges significantly more and better cancer treatments and confirms Belgium’s leadership at the forefront of nuclear medicine. It is supported by Pierre-Yves Dermagne, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Employment, Tinne Van der Straeten, Belgian Minister of Energy, and Thomas Dermine, Belgian State Secretary for Recovery and Strategic Investments.

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