A major project to develop new treatments for cancer has been launched with a £9.9m (US$15m) investment from the Innovate UK Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Programme (SMMIP). It is backed by a further £8.9m (US$12m) from industry. Led by United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL) which has developed a way to harvest lead 212 from recycled nuclear fuel, the goal of the project is to advance Targeted Alpha Therapy. This is a new radiopharmaceutical application and lead-212 could offer hope to patients with cancers that are currently hard to treat by targeting and destroying cancer cells with minimal damage to healthy tissue.
UKNNL will be joined by the Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC). Lead 212 is taken from a sample, which, when developed under the right conditions by scientists at MDC, could treat thousands of patients. The UK has large reserves of lead 212, meaning that this approach could be scaled up.
The funding from the SMMIP will develop the foundations needed to support clinical trials and bring these treatments to patients.
UK Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “It’s incredible to think that we could turn used nuclear fuel into cutting edge cancer treatments – but that is exactly what British scientific brilliance is making possible. Remarkable work like this, which could give cancer patients more priceless time with their loved ones, shows precisely why this Government is giving record funding to research and development.”
Julianne Antrobus, Chief Executive Officer at UKNNL, said: “Through access to the UK’s sovereign supply of lead 212, we have a truly unique opportunity to transform our nuclear expertise into life-saving cancer treatments. Developed from recycled fuel that has already served the nation by powering homes, lead-212 can now serve us again by offering new hope to cancer patients”.
