MURR announces FDA submission for new radioisotope process

Published on June 23, 2023

If approved, the new proprietary no-carrier-added lutetium-177 process will expand MURR’s production of cutting-edge radioisotopes used in lifesaving cancer treatments.

Photo shows the "blue glow" of the MURR reactor. — MURR’s innovative design and operating cycle enables it to produce the active pharmaceutical ingredients in multiple FDA-approved drugs.

June 23, 2023

As part of the University of Missouri’s rich history of research, including the production of medical isotopes for lifesaving treatments, the MU Research Reactor (MURR) has reached a significant milestone on its path to production of no-carrier-added lutetium-177 (NCA Lu-177), a highly pure radionuclide, with the submission of a Drug Master File to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 31, 2023. Lutetium-177 is the active pharmaceutical ingredient in two targeted radioligand therapies commercially produced by Novartis.

“This submission marks a major step forward for MURR and we are excited for our continued collaboration with Novartis,” said Michael Williams, chair of the University of Missouri Board of Curators.