University of Missouri initiative to boost radioisotope production

Published on Oct. 24, 2024

A nuclear manufacturing technician uses a manipulator arm to work samples in a hot cell.

Oct. 24, 2024
Contact: Uriah Orland, 573-884-5139, uriah.orland@missouri.edu

The University of Missouri is stepping up its fight against cancer with a new initiative to ramp up production of no-carrier-added lutetium-177 (NCA Lu-177), a critical ingredient in cutting-edge cancer therapies.

Lutetium-177 is the active pharmaceutical ingredient used in Pluvicto and Lutathera, the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved targeted radionuclide therapies used to treat prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors, respectively. The University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) is the sole producer of Lu-177 in the United States and began initial production of the isotope in fall 2023.

“The growth and expansion at the University of Missouri Research Reactor is critical to the lives of so many cancer patients,” said University of Missouri President Mun Choi. “The expansion of lutetium production will allow Mizzou to provide more of the life-saving treatments for patients in Missouri and across the country. As the only provider of these radioisotopes in the United States, MURR is crucial to ensuring treatments made today are available for patients next week.”

The initiative moves Columbia, Missouri, closer to becoming the center of radiopharmaceutical production in the U.S., solidifying its role as a leader in cancer treatment.