SHINE to acquire Lantheus’s SPECT business line

Under the terms of the agreement, SHINE will acquire Lantheus’s SPECT business, including its line of technetium-99m and xenon-133 diagnostic products; the company’s North Billerica, Mass., campus that manufactures its SPECT products; and its SPECT-related Canadian operations.

Synergies: SHINE said the acquisition will strengthen the company’s presence in the nuclear medicine market by drawing on Lantheus’s established market channels.

Lantheus, meanwhile, said the sale will allow it to focus on growing its commercial portfolio of PET diagnostic tools and advancing its pipeline of radiopharmaceuticals.

Quotes: “Our companies have a long history of partnership, and we have admired Lantheus’s commitment to ensuring patient access to essential medical radioisotopes,” said Greg Piefer, founder and CEO of SHINE. “By integrating Lantheus’s SPECT business and talented team with our company, we will expand our product portfolio, accelerate our path to market for our planned suite of isotopes, and increase our market share—ultimately ensuring greater access to these lifesaving products for patients.”

“This transaction enables Lantheus to concentrate our efforts on enhancing our radiopharmaceutical leadership focused on innovative diagnostics and therapeutics," said Brian Markison, CEO of Lantheus. “While the SPECT business has been a foundational part of Lantheus’s nearly 70-year history, we believe it is the right time for this business and its outstanding employees to continue driving success with SHINE, a company well-positioned to ensure its long-term growth and positive patient impact.”

The companies: Lantheus produces Tc-99m, a decay product of molybdenum-99 that is used in about 40 million medical diagnostic procedures worldwide every year. The company’s SPECT product portfolio includes imaging agents for the heart, lung, thyroid, bladder, and more.

When it becomes operational, SHINE’s large-scale irradiation facility, Chrysalis, will complement the existing supply chain of radioisotopes, including Mo-99 and lutetium-177, used in the treatment of certain cancers. Last year, SHINE opened a Lu-177 production facility with a capacity to produce up to 100,000 doses of the isotope per year and the ability to further expand to 200,000 doses per year.