Isotopes & Radiation

QSA Global, Niowave to collaborate on Ac-225 production using Ra-226

August 14, 2024, 3:28PMNuclear News

QSA Global, a provider of radioisotope products, and Niowave, a Michigan-based producer of medical radioisotopes, announced that the companies will codevelop a scalable radium purification process using Niowave’s radium-226 processing technology to meet the demand for actinium-225, an alpha-emitter used in the treatment of cancer. According to the companies, the strategic partnership marks a significant advancement in the field of radiopharmaceutical technology, enhancing the supply chain for critical radioisotopes, including Ac-225.

Niowave uses a closed-loop cycle to produce high-purity Ac-225 and other alpha emitters from Ra-226 using a superconducting electron linear accelerator. According to the company’s website, the electron beam impinges on a photon converter to irradiate the Ra-226, inducing a photon-neutron reaction to Ra-225, which decays to Ac-225.

The terms: Under the terms of the partnership, announced on August 12, QSA will license Niowave’s technology to process Ra-226 sources. The partnership has two components: the development of a scalable Ra-226 purification process and the delivery of radium to Niowave to enable increased Ac-225 production. The newly purified Ra-226 will be supplied to Niowave, increasing Ac-225 production capacity to exceed 5–10 curies per year using their linear accelerator method.

QSA will begin a multiyear supply of purified Ra-226 to Niowave in early 2025 and extend this supply to third parties in 2026. According to the companies, the collaboration is expected to significantly increase the availability of high-purity Ra-226 and improve the probability that Niowave and other Ac-225 manufacturers can meet the growing demand for Ac-225.

They said it: “We are excited to partner with Niowave and leverage their advanced Ra-226 processing technology,” said Jake Bourn, vice president and general manager at QSA. “This partnership not only expands and accelerates our capabilities for processing Ra-226 but also helps to meet the increasing demand for Ac-225, which is crucial for advancing cancer treatments.”

Mike Zamiara, Niowave’s chief executive officer, added, “Our partnership with QSA represents a significant step forward in Niowave’s path to maximize Ac-225 capacity. By combining our expertise with QSA’s, we can enhance our production capabilities, better support our partners, and ensure a stable supply of Ac-225.”

Tags:
ac-225industrymedical isotopesniowaveqsa globalra-226radioisotopes
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