Innovative radioligand manufacturing facility inaugurated

The first industrial-scale pharmaceutical manufacturing facility for production of lead-212-based radioligand therapies has been inaugurated. 

Orano Med (a subsidiary of the Orano Group)’s ATLab (Alpha Therapy Laboratory) facility in Brownsburg, near Indianapolis, Indiana, US, is set to help address the production and supply challenges of lead-212 radioligand therapies. Orano Med stated that ATLab Indianapolis represents a $20 million investment. The facility has over 30,000 ft² of floor space.

“The inauguration of ATLab Indianapolis represents another major step forward in the development, production, and distribution of these new treatments on a large scale,” Julien Dodet, CEO of Orano Med shared.

This news follows the company beginning construction on a similar facility in France, which is set to produce lead-212 radioligand therapies for the European market. This facility was backed by an investment of €29 million.

During the earlier announcement for its French facility, Orano Med highlighted one key challenge of developing lead-212 based radioligand therapies is manufacturing then on an industrial scale.

The combined capabilities of ATLab Indianapolis and ATLab Valenciennes will allow the radiopharmaceutical firm Orano Med to manufacture 10,000 doses worldwide annually, as of 2025.

The company hopes to produce this number tenfold by the end of 2030.

“Coupled with the lead-212 production capacity of our research unit in Plano, Texas – the Domestic Distribution & Purification Unit – this new industrial site [in Brownsburg] will enable us to serve North American patients requiring targeted lead-212 radiotherapy treatments,” Guillaume Dureau commented.

Radioligand therapy developments in 2023 and 2024

Other companies making progress producing radioligand therapies include Novartis. In January 2024, the pharmaceutical company obtained manufacturing authorisation for its largest radioligand therapy facility.

Furthermore, in October 2023, Eli Lilly made a radioligand therapy-based acquisition agreement totalling approximately $1.4 billion. The deal includes two late-stage radioligand therapies for prostate cancer and gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (GEP-NETs).