Orano Group subsidiary Orano Med has broken ground for its ATEF (Advanced Thorium Extraction Facility) plant in Bessines-sur-Gartempe in Haute-Vienne (France). This will be the world’s first industrial plant dedicated to the production of thorium-228, a precursor of lead-212, used in radioligand therapies.
The ceremony was attended by Claude Imauven, Orano Group Board Chairman, Orano Group CEO Nicolas Maes, Orano Group Director of Innovation, R&D & New Activities Guillaume Dureau, Orano Med CEO Arnaud Lesegretain, Orano Med Governing Board President Julien Dodet as well as numerous partners, local officials, and regional economic stakeholders.
Lead-212 targeted alpha therapy combines the ability of biological molecules to target cancer cells with the cell-killing potential of alpha emissions generated by lead-212. The development of these radiopharmaceuticals has been delayed by problems in producing them on an industrial scale.
Innovations that ensure a very high level of purity will enable ATEF to industrialise the production process for thorium-228, under development for over 10 years by the Laboratoire Maurice Tubiana (LMT). ATEF will supply all the ATLab (Alpha Therapy Laboratories) facilities which aim to manufacture lead-212-based drugs for patients worldwide.
With over 7,000 m² of floor space, the ATEF facility, scheduled for commissioning in 2027, will increase LMT’s current production capacity tenfold. The project represents a total investment of approximately €250m ($264m), creating nearly 70 direct and 100 indirect jobs.
In the short-term, the combined production capacities of the ATEF and LMT will ensure supply for clinical trials and the commercial launches of Orano Med’s first treatments. In ten years, this industrial platform will enable the production of 100,000 doses annually.
Orano CEO Nicolas Maes said construction of the ATEF facility “is a significant step for growing our activities in the region”. He added: “The expansion of our production capacities in the radiopharmaceutical field also contributes to the industrial and economic revitalisation of our country. In addition, this project fulfils Orano’s mission of maximising the value of nuclear materials, the core of our Group’s expertise.”
Orano Med CEO Arnaud Lesegretain noted: “We are convinced that radioligand therapies will soon become an essential tool in the fight against cancer. As the Phase II clinical trial of our most advanced drug, AlphaMedix, nears completion, we are building a globally unique integrated industrial platform to ensure the large-scale production and distribution of lead-212-based treatments.”
In February Orano Med laid the foundation stone for its ATLab in Onnaing, France. This will be Europe’s first industrial-scale pharmaceutical facility dedicated to the production of lead-212 (Pb-212) based radioligand therapies. In June, Orano Med opened its first ATLab in the US at Brownsburg near Indianapolis – the world’s first industrial-scale pharmaceutical facility dedicated to the production of lead-212-based radioligand therapies.
