Orano Med expands its Texas Pb-212 R&D center
Orano Group subsidiary Orano Med, a developer of targeted alpha therapies for oncology, inaugurated the expansion of its main research and development center located in Plano, Texas. The facility is used in the development of radiopharmaceuticals and for conducting preclinical research focused on targeted alpha therapies using lead-212, an alpha-emitting radioisotope that has shown promise in treating various types of cancer.
According to Orano Med, the $5 million expansion demonstrates the company’s commitment to innovation and leadership in the field of radioligand therapies, accelerating the development of new treatment options for patients worldwide. The site hosts the R&D teams of Orano Med as well as those of its subsidiary Macrocyclics, a manufacturer of customized chelating agents.
With manufacturing facilities, laboratories, and R&D centers in France and the United States, Orano Med is expanding its good manufacturing practice (GMP)–manufacturing capacities for Pb-212 radiolabeled pharmaceuticals in North America and Europe. Last year, the company inaugurated its first ATLab (Alpha Therapy Laboratory) outside Indianapolis, Ind. ATLab is an industrial-scale pharmaceutical facility dedicated to the production of Pb-212-based radioligand therapies.
With a half-life of 10.64 hours, along with a decay product of the short-lived alpha-emitter bismuth-212, Pb-212 allows for the possible synthesis and purification of complex radiopharmaceuticals with minimum loss of radioactivity during preparation.
The details: In updating the facility, which has been renamed the Drug Development and Preclinical Unit–George de Hevesy Center, Orano Med has expanded its R&D space by approximately 11,000 square feet, including around 5,000 square feet of new laboratory space. The additional space will enable the advancement of a growing radiopharmaceutical pipeline and double the GMP production capacity for early clinical trial supply, the company said.
In addition, about 5,500 square feet of new office space has been added to accommodate the site’s growing staff, which has doubled over the past four years. Overall, this represents about a 50 percent increase in space compared to the preexisting facility.
Orano Med said it can carry out the full range of preclinical development studies—including in vivo and chemistry, manufacturing, and controls studies—at the center. Both in-house research programs and collaborative developments with biotech and pharmaceutical partners are conducted on-site, ensuring a rapid and reliable transition from research to clinical phases, the company added.
While the primary mission of the center is therapeutic development, the facility also serves as production hub for Pb-212-based drug candidates for early-stage clinical trials in the United States.
Quotes: “The expansion of our R&D center enhances our ability to develop lead-212-based radioligand therapies by giving our teams the resources they need to advance a growing pipeline of drug candidates through to the clinic,” said Julien Torgue, chief scientific officer of Orano Med. “With an integrated platform, cutting-edge equipment, and a focused scientific strategy, we are well positioned to support both our internal developments and collaborations with partners.”
Arnaud Lesegretain, president and CEO of Orano Med, added, “This expansion marks an important step in Orano Med’s growth at our Plano site, which has played a key role since the inception of the company 15 years ago. It reinforces our world-class R&D capabilities in the U.S. and strengthens our ability to deliver innovative targeted alpha therapies by supporting early-stage development in a fully integrated environment.”
