SBIR Phase I: Hybrid Inorganic/Organic Ion Exchange Material for the 227Ac/223Ra Generator

Lynntech, Inc, College Station TX

Investigators

Abstract

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a generator to produce pure radium-223 for use in cancer therapy. The alpha-emitter Ra-223 has a longer half-life than the other alpha-emitting radioisotopes (213 Bi, 212Bi and 211At) currently evaluated for use in radioimmunotherapy (RIT) and has been shown to have higher bone uptake than the commercially available beta-active bone seekers. This makes it very attractive for further development for radiopharmaceutical applications and for use as a pain palliation agent. However, the research and clinical application of this isotope are hindered by the limited availability of pure Ra-223. A simple technique to produce the isotope is a generator where a suitable parent, in this case Ac-227, is immobilized on an ion exchanger column and Ra-223 is eluted when required. Current separation methods frequently use organic resins, which tend to degrade under ionizing radiation and thus the product may contain impurities. This Phase I project will develop new hybrid inorganic/organic ion exchange materials with a high affinity for actinium, but low affinity for radium and good resistance against radiation, allowing the construction of an efficient Ra-223 generator. The commercial application of this projectin the area of human healthcare. It is expected that the developed generator will be used at medical research centers, radiopharmacies and hospitals to produce pure 223Ra to treat patients with bone metastases and other small solid tumors.