Clarity and Nusano agree on medical isotopes deal
Australia-based Clarity Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company, has signed a supply agreement for copper-67 with Nusano, Inc., headquartered in California. Nusano produces radioisotopes for medical, commercial, and industrial applications.
Copper-67 is a medical radioisotope used for targeted cancer therapy because it emits beta radiation that can kill cancer cells, and it has a suitable half-life and emits gamma rays for potential imaging. Its theranostic properties mean that it can be used for both diagnosis and therapy, especially when paired with copper-64, which is used for PET imaging. This pairing allows medical professionals to image the cancer and then use a dose of copper-67 to treat it, all using the same chelating molecules.
Currently, some medical isotopes for cancer fighting such as lutetium-177 are produced in nuclear reactors by bombarding a target material, such as lutetium-176 or ytterbium-176, with neutrons. The target material is placed in the reactor core, where neutrons are captured by the atoms of the target. This creates an unstable isotope that then decays into lutetium-177.
Start up: According to Clarity, Nusano's 190,000-square-foot facility in West Valley City, Utah, which will use proprietary accelerator-based technologies suited for high-volume mass production of copper-67, is expected to begin operations in late 2025, with the production of the isotope planned to start mid-2026.
The copper-67 supply from Nusano expands Clarity's network of U.S.-based suppliers, including NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC and the Idaho State University Idaho Accelerator Center.
Quotes: "Building reliable, abundant, sustainable, and cost-effective supply goes hand-in-hand with our clinical development to allow us to swiftly scale manufacturing when needed,” said Alan Taylor, Clarity’s executive chairperson. “We have seen in the past the challenges associated with growing isotope supply with lutetium-177 . . . ultimately affecting care for oncology patients waiting for their treatments.”
Nusano's CEO, Chris Lowe, added, "Nusano is commercializing a breakthrough radioisotope production platform in 2025 capable of producing more than 25 radioisotopes for life science applications. We are excited to deepen our relationship with Clarity through the signing of this supply agreement for copper-67 to enable their clinical and commercial efforts with a dependable supply of radioisotopes from our world-class production facility in Utah.”
