BELOIT, Wis. & BERLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC, a global innovator in the development, production and commercialization of radiopharmaceuticals used for therapeutic applications and medical imaging, and Eckert & Ziegler Isotope Technologies Dresden (ITD), a specialist for radiopharmaceutical plant engineering and fully owned subsidiary of Eckert & Ziegler AG (ISIN DE0005659700, SDAX), today announced an agreement for the purchase of hot cells and related equipment for NorthStar’s dedicated non-carrier-added (n.c.a.) actinium-225 (Ac-225) production facility. Hot cells are specially designed shielded enclosures that allow the safe handling of radioactive material. The equipment, worth several million USD, will be used by NorthStar in Beloit, Wisconsin, to produce commercial-scale quantities of n.c.a. Ac-225. Ac-225 is an emerging medical radioisotope for potential use in the treatment of cancer. The manufacturing process for these advanced radiopharmaceuticals requires innovative solutions and equipment to enable routine large-scale commercial production of Ac-225.
"This agreement underlines our long-standing and extensive know-how in the construction of customized special plants, both because of its scope and with respect to the technological requirements," explained Felix Husmann, Managing Director of Eckert & Ziegler's subsidiary Isotope Technologies Dresden GmbH. "We are proud that a leading radiopharmaceutical company like NorthStar is putting its trust in our expertise in process development."
"NorthStar is confident that we will be the first commercial-scale supplier of n.c.a. Ac-225 utilizing our environmentally preferable and non-uranium based electron accelerator technology,” said Stephen Merrick, Chief Executive Officer of NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes. “From the preliminary stages of this project, we have had the full support of ITD's technology team. We consider them the leading industry specialist in turnkey facilities for radiochemical and radiopharmaceutical processes, and anticipate that their technical solutions will enable us to make a significant contribution to the global supply of Ac-225 in the future."
About Eckert & Ziegler.
Eckert & Ziegler Strahlen- und Medizintechnik AG with more than 900 employees is a leading specialist for isotope-related components in nuclear medicine and radiation therapy. The company offers a broad range of services and products for the radiopharmaceutical industry, from early development work to contract manufacturing and distribution. Eckert & Ziegler shares (ISIN DE0005659700) are listed in the SDAX index of Deutsche Börse.
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About Isotope Technologies Dresden
Isotope Technologies Dresden GmbH (ITD) is a subsidiary of Eckert & Ziegler AG and one of the leading international specialists for the development, design and manufacture of hot cells for production, material testing, research & development and other applications in the radiopharmaceutical and industrial sectors. ITD has many years of experience in the development, manufacture and installation of customer-specific special equipment.
About NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes.
NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes is a commercial-stage nuclear medicine company that manufactures and distributes diagnostic and therapeutic radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals. The Company’s proprietary state-of-the-art technology and proven management team have propelled it to the forefront of U.S. medical radioisotope production as the sole domestic producer of the diagnostic imaging radioisotope molybdenum-99 (Mo-99). Mo-99 is used to generate technetium-99m (Tc-99m), the standard of care in diagnostic imaging to assess the extent and severity of heart disease and cancer. NorthStar’s unique Mo-99 production process is non-uranium based and environmentally friendly. NorthStar is expanding its industry-leading position in the emerging area of therapeutic radioisotopes, which are used in targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy to treat cancer, respiratory and other diseases. Using first-in-kind and environmentally-sound electron accelerator technology, NorthStar is poised to be the first commercial-scale producer of therapeutic radioisotopes actinium-225 (Ac-225) and copper-67 (Cu-67). NorthStar also collaborates with other companies in the development of radiopharmaceuticals. For more information about NorthStar’s comprehensive radiopharmaceutical portfolio, visit: www.northstarnm.com.
