United States receives transfer of radium, giving a significant push to the production of radiopharmaceuticals.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is connecting disused radium sources with organizations in the U.S. for conversion into actinium-225, a rare but highly sought-after radioisotope used in targeted therapy for cancer treatment.
Disused radium sources, safely stored but unused in dozens of countries around the world, are being transferred as part of the IAEA's global radium-226 management initiative. The initiative includes approximately 80 countries, with Brazil, Croatia, the Dominican Republic, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Lebanon, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Zimbabwe also participating.
Tunisia has already transferred more than 100 disused radium sources to the U.S., and Brazil's transfer is expected this month. These sources are destined for actinium-225 production, a process that will significantly contribute to the feedstock for actinium-225 production.
Actinium-225 production from the transferred disused radium sources will advance cancer care globally. The IAEA provides support for source inventory, characterization, conditioning, and radiation monitoring through its initiative.
Radium-226's unique properties make it a challenge for long-term management due to its long half-life of 1,604 years and unique decay chain, emitting radiation. The IAEA's statement confirms the contribution of the transferred disused radium sources to actinium-225 production.
The companies processing radium sources from participating countries to produce Actinium-225 for radiopharmaceutical cancer treatments are Eckert & Ziegler in Germany and NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes in the USA. Eckert & Ziegler provides high-quality Ac-225 for clinical research and development, while NorthStar is positioned as a commercial-scale producer of non-carrier-added Ac-225 for clinical and commercial use in radiopharmaceutical therapy.
The transferred disused radium sources will add to the production of actinium-225, which is expected to contribute to the advancement of cancer care globally. The IAEA's initiative underscores its commitment to global health and safety, ensuring that these disused sources are put to good use in the fight against cancer.
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