NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes has signed an agreement with Eckert & Ziegler Isotope Technologies Dresden for hot cells and related equipment to be used in NorthStar's construction of a production facility for noncarrier-added actinium-225 (Ac-225).
Hot cells are shielded enclosures that allow the safe handling of radioactive material, the companies noted, and NorthStar will use the equipment at a facility in Beloit, WI, that will produce commercial-scale quantities of Ac-225. NorthStar said the equipment it is purchasing is worth several million dollars.
NorthStar noted that Ac-225 is an emerging medical radioisotope that could be used to treat cancer, but the manufacturing process for advanced radiopharmaceuticals like Ac-225 requires specialized equipment to support routine large-scale commercial production.
