Innovation / 10.03.2020
Eckert & Ziegler Starts Commercial Production of Lutetium-177

Eckert & Ziegler Strahlen- und Medizintechnik AG (ISIN DE0005659700, S-DAX) has developed a new technology for the production of carrier-free lutetium-177. It is based on the irradiation of ytterbium-176 and the subsequent separation of the resulting lutetium-177 in a radiochemical facility. The process has achieved a particularly high degree of purity. Following the successful validation of the production process, commercial production has now started and the first batches of material have been delivered.

"Lutetium-177 is a highly demanded substance in many new cancer drugs. We are pleased to be able to offer this nuclide now in carrier-free form and thus of particularly high quality to our customers in the pharmaceutical industry. Due to the large number of studies in which lutetium-177 is being clinically tested worldwide, we expect an increasing demand for this isotope and related services in the coming years. With the new technology and production facilities in Europe, Asia and North America, we see ourselves as being excellently positioned to meet this demand," explained Dr. Lutz Helmke, member of the Executive Board of Eckert & Ziegler AG.

Radiotherapeutic agents that are coupled with lutetium-177 prior to injection are currently under development for several types of cancer. Lutetium-177-based drugs for the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer are already in the clinical phase III trials. Therapeutic agents for other tumor types are also awaiting approval. In addition to its efficiency, the advantage of lutetium treatment is that it can be coupled with very precise diagnostics. The carrier substance of the therapeutic agent can be linked to a diagnostic radioisotope, for example gallium-68. Using special devices, so-called PET scanners, the response rate for the patient and thus the usefulness of treatment can be predicted with high precision in advance.

About Eckert & Ziegler.
Eckert & Ziegler Eckert & Ziegler Strahlen- und Medizintechnik AG with more than 800 employees, is one of the world's largest providers of isotope-related components for radiation therapy and nuclear medicine, including GalliaPharm^® for the production of gallium-68. Eckert & Ziegler shares (ISIN DE0005659700) are listed in the SDAX index of Deutsche Börse.
Contributing to saving lives.

www.ezag.de Source: Eckert & Ziegler Eckert & Ziegler Strahlen- und Medizintechnik AG