May 30, 2024 - Toronto, Ontario – Kinectrics, a global provider of nuclear lifecycle services announces the first shipments of highly enriched Ytterbium-176 (Yb-176), strengthening the radiopharmaceutical supply chain and reducing reliance on Russian material.
No-carrier added Lutetium-177 (n.c.a. Lu-177) has quickly become an important isotope for therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. There is growing demand for n.c.a. Lu-177 due to the expanding pipeline of Lu-177 therapies. The input material for creating n.c.a. Lu-177 is Yb-176, a stable isotope that is irradiated in nuclear reactors, producing Lu-177 through neutron activation.
The production of all n.c.a. Lu-177 depends on a complex and very limited global supply chain which up to now has predominantly been dependent on supply from Russia. Kinectrics is expanding our proven stable isotope production technology through 2024 with the aim to become the largest non-Russian producer of Yb-176. Following several years of effort to develop and implement novel electromagnetic isotope enrichment technologies, Kinectrics is now in routine production. The technology will also allow Kinectrics to expand its portfolio of stable isotope products in the coming years, including Gadolinium-160 (Gd-160) and others.
The importance of reducing the n.c.a. Lu-177 supply chain’s reliance on Russian materials is highlighted in recent legislative actions, notably the Rosatom Sanctions Enforcement Act recently passed out of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Creating a robust commercial supply of Yb-176 is important to ensure a consistent supply of Lu-177. We have invested, through our joint venture company Isogen, in isotope production technology that has been routinely providing Lu-177 deliveries from Bruce Power since fall of 2022. With our first shipments of Yb-176, we demonstrate that Kinectrics can rapidly advance medical isotope innovations from concept to dependable commercial production.
Kinectrics is a category leader in providing lifecycle management services for the electricity industry. Trusted by clients worldwide, our expertise in engineering, testing, inspection, and certification is backed by our independent laboratory and testing facilities, a diverse fleet of field inspection equipment and an award-winning team of over 1,300 engineers and technical experts. From initial design and type testing to operational deployment and maintenance services, Kinectrics collaborates closely with customers to ensure that utility assets perform safely, reliably, and efficiently throughout their entire lifecycle.
