The clamor for radioisotopes has continued into the new year, with Novartis inking a deal with radiopharmaceutical producer Niowave to supply the pharma giant with the specialized ingredient Actinium-225 (Ac-225) used to develop targeted cancer therapies.
The latest deal calls for Michigan-based Niowave to provide Novartis with a scalable supply of Ac-225 to support its portfolio of radioligand therapies that, in conjunction with a targeting radioisotope, selectively focus on and destroy cancer cells, the company said in a Feb. 11 press release.
Neither financial nor other details of the deal, such as how long the contract runs, were disclosed.
“Our new agreement with Novartis underscores Niowave’s leading position as a trusted global supplier of medical radioisotopes,” Mike Zamiara, Niowave’s chief executive, said in a statement. “Niowave’s ability to provide dependable, scalable supply of Actinium-225 will contribute to the advancement of Novartis’s targeted cancer therapies and has the potential to meaningfully transform cancer care on a global scale.”
After having been spun out of Michigan State University’s National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory in 2005, the company developed superconducting linear accelerator technology and radiochemistry capabilities to support sustainable production of Ac-225.
In late December, Niowave inked a 10-year deal with AstraZeneca for Ac-225. That deal came on the heels of similar agreements or announcements in the radiopharmaceutical space, such as Bicycle Therapeutics’ agreement with a pair of U.K. nuclear agencies for 400 tons of reprocessed uranium and Nusano opening up a Salt Lake City production facility that can churn out 40 different radioisotopes.
Ratio Therapeutics unveiled plans last year to build a plant, also located in Utah, to manufacture radioisotopes.