JANESVILLE, Wis., June 8, 2021 – SHINE Medical Technologies LLC today announced that it has entered a multi-year contract with the University of Missouri Research Reactor, or MURR®, for irradiation of ytterbium-176, the starting material for the production of lutetium-177 (Lu-177), a therapeutic isotope showing great promise for improving patient outcomes for a range of cancers.
"MURR's experienced team and reliable reactor make its irradiation services invaluable to SHINE as we commercialize our Lu-177," said Katrina Pitas, vice president and general manager of SHINE Therapeutics. "MURR's high neutron flux will help us produce all the non-carrier-added Lu-177 we need to serve our rapidly growing customer base, treating a wide variety of cancers."
MURR is located on the campus of the University of Missouri at Columbia.
"The MURR team looks forward to serving SHINE as it commercializes Lu-177," said Ken Brooks, associate director for business development at the MU Research Reactor. "For more than 50 years, MURR has served researchers and industry partners around the world."
SHINE Lu-177 Sticker
Lu-177 is a low-energy beta-particle emitter that works by directly irradiating cancer cells after being delivered to the cancer site by a targeting molecule. Energy from Lu-177 only travels a short distance once it reaches cancer cells, enabling the isotope to destroy those cells with little damage to surrounding tissue. Lu-177-based therapy is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of neuroendocrine cancers. It also shows promise for the treatment of metastatic prostate, breast, liver, brain and other cancers.
"The need for more effective cancer treatments continues to grow, particularly for those patients with metastatic or late-stage cancers," said Greg Piefer, SHINE's founder and CEO. "We can provide hope to those patients with a highly precise treatment that produces little damage in the tissue around the treatment site. SHINE expects to play a significant role in ensuring that patients around the world have access to Lu-177."
SHINE will host a booth in the SNMMI 2021 Virtual Exhibit Hall. The exhibit hall will be open June 11-15 as part of SNMMI's Annual Meeting. The company will highlight its lutetium-177 product and progress on the commercialization of molybdenum-99.
About SHINE Medical Technologies
SHINE is a nuclear technology company committed to improving the lives of people and the planet. The company is focusing its fusion-based technology initially on advanced industrial imaging and the production of diagnostic and therapeutic isotopes. These isotopes include molybdenum-99, a diagnostic isotope used to diagnose heart disease, cancer, and other conditions, and lutetium-177, a therapeutic isotope that holds the promise of significantly improving the outcome of some cancer patients. SHINE has a long-term strategy to solve some of humanity's biggest problems, including nuclear waste recycling and the production of clean fusion energy, in addition to advanced industrial imaging and medical isotopes, by pursuing our vision for progressively broad and impactful uses of fusion technology. For more information about SHINE, please visit our website at www.shinemed.com.
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