Articles
Already in 2001, NRG supported the development of Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy with carrier added Lutetium-177 (Lu-177 c.a.) by the supply of Lutetium-177 trichloride as a radiochemical. Nowadays, Lu-177 no carrier added is preferably used. “Lu-177 n.c.a. has a higher specific activity and thus radiolabeling efficiency, than lu-177 c.a.”, according to Marion Chomet, lead scientist at FIELD-LAB. Chomet and her colleagues are now fine-tuning and finalizing their custom made lutetium-177 n.c.a. process. But there are several challenges and practical considerations that they are facing.
The major bottleneck for research and development of radiopharmaceuticals for targeted alpha therapy is its limited availability. The irradiation of radium-226 could be a game changer as the amounts produced using this method could fulfill the market needs for alpha-emitters. However, there are several challenges in 226Ra target preparation and further processing of irradiated targets.
During the NVNG Spring Conference of last Friday our R&D manager Karlijn van der Schilden provided insight into the current developments of NRGǀPALLAS in the field of developing new production routes for existing and new isotopes. With inextricably linked the subject of securing availability and supply.
In order to predict the behavior of nuclear medicine in the body after administration, Ramona Bouwman, consultant radiation protection at NRG, has been developing a biokinetic model to do just that.
In the University of Warwick and King’s College London, the FIELD-LAB of NRG has found its first international partners. Despite the significant barriers created by both the COVID-pandemic and Brexit, researchers and scientists on both sides of the Channel managed to get things started and hope to present exciting new findings in due time. Dr Cinzia Imberti, Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Warwick, UK and Nora Klaassen, project manager R&D at Field-Lab, Petten, the Netherlands, shed some light on how this collaboration started and its hopes for the future.
FIELD-LAB is the incubator for new nuclear medicines. Together with partners FIELD-LAB develops new nuclear medicine for personalised treatment of cancer patients.
The plans for FIELD-LAB in Petten are really starting to take shape and there are lots of people who can't wait to contribute to this special initiative.