Shine Medical Technologies has signed a multiyear deal with the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) covering the production of the precursor isotope to lutetium-177 (Lu-177), a radioisotope used for therapeutic applications.
Under the contract, ytterbium-176, which is the starting material used to produce Lu-177, will undergo irradiation at the MURR's reactor. Lu-177 is a low-energy beta-particle emitter that directly irradiates cancer cells after being delivered to a cancer site. Since it only travels a short distance, the isotope destroys cells without causing major damage to surrounding tissue.
The company will discuss Lu-177 and the progress it has made in commercializing molybdenum-99 at the upcoming Society for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) meeting.
