Lutetium-177
New Horizons in Cancer Treatment
Recent clinical developments and FDA product approvals in nuclear medicine have advanced the use of Lutetium-177 (Lu-177). Lu-177, a beta particle emitter, may become the most widely used isotope for radiotherapeutic treatments in the near future. In recent years, products using Lu-177 have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of prostate cancer and neuroendocrine cancer and there are dozens of clinical trials underway that include Lu-177 for the treatment of other cancers as well. The current $2.5 billion market in 2025 is expected to potentially explode to over $25 billion by 2032 and continue to grow throughout the next decades, as new products undergoing clinical trials gain regulatory approval and treatment acceptance.
Eden’s LEU all-target reactor and production facilities in New Mexico and New Brunswick Canada will be a major supplier of this critical new radiotherapy isotope. Eden will be capable of making more than 1.8 million patient doses annually.
The preferred form of Lu-177 is non-carrier added (“n.c.a”) and is only able to be made by activation in a reactor, while the non-preferred form, carrier added (c.a.”), can be made by a linear accelerator or cyclotron. This means the reactors that currently make up the fragile supply chain for Mo-99 are the same that make Lu-177 n.c.a., several of which are over 60 years of age and scheduled for decommissioning. Eden will play a critical role in assuring reliability of Lu-177 supply to meet the anticipated growing need for cancer patients both near term and in the future.
The demand for Lu-177 will continue to grow over the next decade, requiring more nuclear reactor production and hot cell capabilities than are currently available.
New Horizons in Cancer Treatment
Recent developments in nuclear medicine have advanced the use of Lutetium-177 (Lu-177). This isotope may become the most widely used isotope for therapeutic treatments in the near future. It has already passed clinical trials and FDA approval for the treatment of prostate cancer and is being studied for the treatment of other cancers as well.
Lu-177 is not made by the fission of U-235, but a nuclear reactor is required to produce it. Lu-177 is made by the neutron transmutation process, or activation process, whereby a parent isotope is bombarded with neutrons to produce another isotope. In this case, Ytterbium-176 (Yb-176) is placed in a nuclear reactor in the form of a target. After irradiation for days or weeks, the target is removed and the Lu-177 is separated from the Yb-176 in a chemical process.
The demand for Lu-177 will continue to grow over the next decade, requiring more nuclear reactor production and hot cell capabilities than are currently available.