Laurentis Energy Partners to produce Y-90 isotopes for life-saving cancer treatments globally
TORONTO, ON – Cancer patients in Canada and around the world will receive treatment using Yttrium-90 (Y-90) isotopes produced by Laurentis Energy Partners (Laurentis) and harvested from Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) Darlington Nuclear Generating Station.
Ontario’s Minister of Health and Deputy Premier, Sylvia Jones and Minister of Energy, Todd Smith joined Laurentis and industry partners at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre to announce Laurentis will become one of very few global suppliers of Y-90, a potentially life-saving isotope instrumental in treating several diseases, primarily liver cancer.
Laurentis will use its proprietary Target Delivery System (TDS), developed in partnership with BWXT Medical, to produce Y-90.
Pending regulatory approvals, Laurentis expects to begin producing Y-90 by mid-2025, further strengthening Ontario’s position as a world leader in the production of medical isotopes.
Key facts
- Because of the unique design of Darlington’s CANDU reactors, Y-90 can be produced without interrupting the generation of clean energy.
- Once irradiated, Y-90 will be sent to BWXT Medical’s facility in Kanata to be packaged and distributed to more than 30 countries globally for use in minimally-invasive, targeted radiation therapy to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumours.
- Y-90 is the first of Laurentis’s isotopes to be used in therapeutic treatment. Other nuclear isotopes are used in critical applications such as medical diagnostics and food sterilization.
- According to the Canadian Liver Foundation, liver cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide.
Quotes
“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, Ontario has become a hub for healthcare research and innovation,” said Hon. Sylvia Jones, Deputy Ontario Premier and Minister of Health. “The production of medical isotopes in Ontario is another way our government is leveraging innovation to connect more people to the life-changing care they need, when they need it.”
“Once again, we are demonstrating to the world the indispensable role of Ontario's world-class nuclear sector,” said Hon. Todd Smith, Ontario Minister of Energy. “Not only does nuclear generate clean, reliable baseload electricity to power up our province but it also enables the production of life-saving medical isotopes, which is helping to treat cancers and other diseases.”
“Laurentis will provide a critical supply of made-in-Ontario Y-90 to the world,” said Jason Van Wart, President and CEO of Laurentis. “As a company with experience, expertise and cutting-edge technology at our fingertips, we have a responsibility to advance the production of life-saving isotopes for the global medical community.”
About Laurentis Energy Partners
Laurentis, a subsidiary of OPG, is an innovator and leader in the clean-energy industry, leveraging its access to decades of nuclear energy knowledge and experience to deliver lifesaving radio pharmaceuticals and isotopes, complete refurbishment activities at CANDU stations around the world, execute Small Modular Reactor (SMR) engineering and services, provide inspections with industry leading technologies and assist the global nuclear industry in nuclear waste and decommissioning. Laurentis has offices in the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton and Bruce County in Ontario, Saint John in New Brunswick, Regina in Saskatchewan, and Bucharest and Cernavoda in Romania.
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