Radiopharmaceutical firm Ion Beam Applications (IBA), the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA), and the National Institute for Radioelements (IRE) have signed an agreement to secure the supply of technetium-99m (Tc-99m) beginning in 2015.
CEA of Gif-sur-Yvette, France, will guarantee the irradiation of uranium targets in its nuclear reactors, while Fleurus, Belgium-based IRE will extract molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) and deliver the medical isotope to distributors of Tc-99m generators. IBA will then manufacture and distribute Tc-99m generators to hospitals.
In the coming months, the three companies will work on the technical specifications of CEA's reactor irradiation systems, with the goal of beginning Mo-99 production as soon as it is operational, which is planned for 2015.
IBA of Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, also has sold the prototype of its next-generation carbon therapy system to the French company CYCLHAD (un Cyclotron pour l'Hadronthérapie, or a Cyclotron for Hadron Therapy), according to IBA.
Under the terms of the sales agreement, IBA will provide CYCLHAD with the prototype and will be responsible for the research, development, and validation of all technical and scientific equipment. IBA will install the cyclotron at CYCLHAD's research center, along with one fixed-beam clinical research room and one fixed-beam physics research room.
IBA also will provide a 15-year service contract on the system. The company will receive a payment of 60 to 70 million euros ($77.4 to $90.3 million U.S.) from CYCLHAD for the equipment and services.
Related Reading
IBA considers IPO for pharma unit, August 31, 2010
IBA, Bayer ink imaging deal, August 27, 2010
IBA to build proton center in Poland, August 2, 2010
IBA wins Swedish contract, July 8, 2010
IBA inks deal with Procure, July 6, 2010
Copyright © 2010 AuntMinnie.com
