Nuclearelectrica (BVB: SNN) and France's Framatome have signed an agreement to produce the medical isotope Lutetium-177 (Lu-177) at Romania's Cernavodă nuclear power plant. 

Lu-177 is essential in targeted cancer treatments, especially for prostate cancer, where it selectively destroys cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue.

The agreement follows a feasibility study confirming that Framatome's technology for irradiating Ytterbium-176 meets the technical standards required for Lu-177 production at Cernavodă's Unit 2 reactor. The companies now enter a detailed engineering and industrialisation phase, aiming for initial production batches by 2028. 

This collaboration seeks to secure a domestic supply of Lu-177 to support Romania's radiopharmaceutical needs, aligning with global efforts to expand access to advanced cancer therapies.

Framatome's isotope production technology previously enabled the first large-scale commercial production of Lu-177 in a nuclear power reactor in 2022, marking a breakthrough in the field.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/Nuclearelectrica Oficial)