Radiopharmaceutical company NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes (NorthStar) and radioactive source manufacturer QSA Global have announced a new multi-year strategic services partnership
In a statement, QSA Global said the new partnership aims to solidify the supply chain for radium-226 (Ra-226) targets and support NorthStar's commercial-scale production of no-carrier-added (n.c.a.). Ac-225, used in next-generation Targeted Alpha Therapies (TAT).
Radium-226 (Ra-226) is the starting material for Actinium-225 (Ac-225) production.
The isotope is currently experiencing a severe supply chain bottleneck due to a shortage of primary raw materials.
Thus, suppliers have been dependent on legacy sources, electronic instruments and recovered industrial coatings, making pure Ra-226 inherently scarce.
The partnership will feature a multi-year purification campaign where QSA Global will process legacy Ra-226 on behalf of NorthStar, transforming the material into high-purity precursors that will directly feed continuous target capsule manufacturing.
Following irradiation and processing by NorthStar to produce n.c.a Ac-225, the recovered radium will be returned to QSA Global for recycling into new targets. The companies say that this should establish a highly efficient, closed-loop supply chain.
"This multi-year agreement with QSA Global strengthens our supply chain with a reliable, high-quality supply of Ra-226 targets critical to our n.c.a. Ac-225 production capabilities," said Dr Frank Scholz, President & CEO of NorthStar.
By ensuring consistent access to these vital starting materials, we can confidently meet growing demand within the industry.
"By managing the complex, highly regulated lifecycle of radium-226, QSA Global enables partners like NorthStar to focus their resources entirely on commercial Actinium-225 production," said Dr Joe Lapinskas, Innovation Director at QSA Global, Inc.
"NorthStar was a foundational partner as we developed our specialised radium services."
We are proud to leverage our decades of high-activity radioactive materials expertise to help secure this critical supply chain and support NorthStar's mission of delivering life-saving TATs to patients.