Innovation / 10.01.2022
Eckert & Ziegler Signs Exclusive Supply Agreement for Ytterbium-176

10.01.2022 / Insider information pursuant to Article 17 MAR

Eckert & Ziegler Radiopharma GmbH (EZR), the radiopharmaceutical production arm of Eckert & Ziegler, has signed a joint venture and exclusive long-term supply agreements for Ytterbium-176 with Atom Mines LLC, an innovative producer of enriched Ytterbium isotopes and a subsidiary of the non-profit Pointsman Foundation, both based in Austin, Texas. Cancer therapies based on Lutetium-177 are proving highly effective, yet the world supply of the indispensable precursor, Ytterbium-176, has previously been measured in grams per year. A new technology partially financed by EZR and developed by Atom Mines now promises to overcome this bottleneck: first samples delivered met the relevant quality criteria, in particular isotope purity. This opens the way for EZR to make Lutetium-177 available in large quantities to pharmaceutical companies worldwide to treat hundreds of thousands of patients per year.

While shown to be highly effective in clinical trials, regulatory approvals previously limited Lutetium-177 based radiotherapeutics to rare cancer types such as neuroendocrine tumours. Recently, however, the FDA and other regulatory bodies extended approvals for Lutetium-177 based radiotherapeutics to prostate cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death. This has raised supply chain concerns among pharmaceutical producers, in particular about the scarce supply of Ytterbium-176.

“We are excited about the achievements of the team at Atom Mines and the potential of their isotope separation technology”, commented Lutz Helmke, COO of EZR. “They have closed an important gap in the supply chain for Lutetium-177 nca which will enable EZR to strengthen its position as a partner of choice for global radiopharmaceutical companies such as Novartis, Bayer, or Telix.”

About Eckert & Ziegler
Eckert & Ziegler Strahlen- und Medizintechnik AG with approx. 900 employees is a leading specialist for isotope-related components in nuclear medicine and radiation therapy. The company offers a broad range of services and products for the radiopharmaceutical industry, from early development work to contract manufacturing and distribution. Eckert & Ziegler shares (ISIN DE0005659700) are listed in the TecDAX index of Deutsche Börse.
 

Source: Press Release EZAG
Eckert & Ziegler Signs Exclusive Supply Agreement for Ytterbium-176