Bruce Power is about to play a bigger role in the fight against cancer.
The company is part of an international collaboration that has begun commercial production of lutetium-177. The first-of-its-kind achievement for a commercial power reactor means a stable supply of the medical isotope, which precisely targets cancerous cells, while sparing healthy tissue.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has granted final commissioning and regulatory approval for a novel Isotope Production System (IPS) in Bruce Power’s Unit 7. Bruce Power’s continuous operation means a consistent and scalable supply of life-saving isotopes to treat cancer patients around the world.
Isogen (a Kinectrics and Framatome company) and ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE are the partners in the consortium.
“The announcement was celebrated at ITM’s headquarters in Munich, Germany, along with representatives of the partnership organizations during a trade mission with Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade,” a statement from Bruce Power said.
“It is with great pride that we at Bruce Power, along with our partners at Isogen, ITM and Saugeen Ojibway Nation, celebrate the successful commencement of commercial operation of the world’s first large-scale Isotope Production System for the production of lutetium-177,” said Mike Rencheck, Bruce Power’s President and CEO. “This announcement is the result of years of dedication and comes thanks to the hard work and innovative spirit of thousands of employees across this unique international partnership.”
According to Bruce Power, the isotopes are sent to ITM’s manufacturing facility in Germany, where they will be processed and then sent to health care facilities around the world to assist in cancer treatments.
“Today we celebrate the efforts of Bruce Power, ITM, our Kinectrics staff, and our partner in Isogen, Framatome, whose collective efforts enabled the start of commercial supply of lutetium-177,” said David Harris, CEO of Kinectrics. “This day marks a paradigm shift in medical isotope supply wherein the international medical community can now depend on scalable, reliable, Canadian, power-reactor produced isotopes for their cancer treatments.”
“We commemorate this historical accomplishment that promises potentially life-saving medical treatments for cancer patients,” said Bernard Fontana, CEO of Framatome. “Our shared vision with our Isogen partner Kinectrics, and Bruce Power, working with ITM, has led to this significant milestone. We are proud of our teams who have persevered to design, develop, install and implement this ambitious and complex project. As part of our Framatome Healthcare brand, we are honored to play a critical role in ensuring a reliable supply of isotopes, including lutetium-177, to the medical communities around the world.”
Read original story from Midwestern Ontario News – BlackburnNews.com