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Mass production of Astatine at Cyclotron Facility at RCNP will promote advances in targeted alpha therapy
The Research Center for Nuclear Physics (RCNP) at Osaka University, with support from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), has recently constructed a cyclotron, a type of particle accelerator, which can mass-produce astatine-211 (211At), a radioisotope used in targeted alpha therapy (TAT).
To widely spread TAT, RCNP will perform a joint research project focused on the production, extraction, refinement and synthesis of 211At in cooperation with Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd., Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation, and Alpha Fusion, Inc.
TAT is a treatment that destroys cancer cells in the human body by injecting alpha particle-emitting radionuclides into the tumor tissue. 211At, an alpha particle-emitting radionuclide, has a high energy to kill tumor cells but low penetrating power, so the risk of damage to surrounding healthy tissue is reduced.
TAT using 211At (half-life: 7.2 hours) has gathered attention in recent years because 211At can be produced by an accelerator and combined with small and middle molecule compounds to enable rapid distribution to the target.
Physician-initiated clinical trials of 211At were conducted at Osaka University for the first time in the world, which, coupled with the Japanese pharmaceutical industry's excellence in drug development using small and middle molecules, has shown that Japan is a leader in this field.
TAT, which can be used in patients with advanced refractory cancer in an outpatient setting, has immense potential to improve the quality of life of patients and is expected to spur medical innovation in Japan and overseas.
Furthermore, since widespread implementation of TAT requires technologies for production, separation, and refinement of radionuclides, drug commercialization, companion diagnostics (clinical examination to determine a specific therapy effective for a specific patient), and medical treatment, this project will have major socioeconomic effects, creating intellectual properties in related fields and building a foundation of medical industry with international competitiveness.
Through collaboration with industry and government, RCNP will engage in drug development and clinical trials using 211At produced at the new TAT Cyclotron Facility and create a value chain in western Japan.
RCNP aims to create a new industry through the verification of the efficacy of TAT, which requires cooperation from various industries from the production of 211At using an accelerator to their extraction, refinement, and synthesis.