AWARD OF THE YEAR

AWARDS

ADVANCELL ISOTOPES ²¹²PB GENERATOR PRODUCT DESIGN

MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC

DESIGNED BY AdvanCell Isotopes Design + Industry (D+I)

COMMISSIONED BY AdvanCell Isotopes

DESIGNED IN AUSTRALIA

AdvanCell’s Generator is a world-first alpha isotope generator which addresses the greatest unmet need in targeted alpha therapy – the reliable and scalable supply of isotope. The manufacture of clinical doses of a high-value isotope Alpha 212® (Lead-212) for use in targeted radionuclides therapy is revolutionary in the treatment for prostate and several other cancers. Enabling scalable local isotope production capability, the Generator will fast track the delivery of cutting-edge cancer treatments to patients. 47—48

The manufacture of clinical doses of a high-value isotope Alpha 212® (Lead-212) for use in targeted radionuclides therapy is revolutionary in the treatment of prostate and several other cancers.

Challenge

Lead-212 is a key isotope within nuclear medicine possessing a half-life of 10.6 hours. The limitations of current production methodologies severely impact the availability of radionuclide therapy for patients in need, so the challenge was to design and engineer a small footprint generator that could be produced and operated at scale around the state, country and anywhere in the world to serve large patient populations.

The generator needed to shield operators from radiation, be intuitive to use and enable reliable production of radio isotopically pure product for extended periods. The goal was to cultivate a design that would encompass all aspects of the electronics and mechanical apparatus needed to automate the production of the isotope (Lead 212), and ensure it could run continuously for 24 hours to produce the clinical Lead-212 doses.

Impact

The Isotope Generator can easily scale production of Lead-212 and allow greater access to therapies that are beneficial to the treatment of prostate and neuroendocrine cancers. Due to Lead-212’s short half-life, transporting, storing and administering the isotope is time-sensitive, so the innovation has the potential to save countless hours and lives by eliminating the challenges associated with long-haul transportation and storage. Scalable production of these rare alpha emitting isotopes and turning them into therapies for a broad range of cancers enables greater access to treatments for patients who need it most.

Solution

The Isotope Generator is a platform technology that enables the scaled production of isotopes to mobilise a number of Targeted Alpha Therapies, clinical trials and treatments that have previously been restricted. A focus on quality, reliability and traceability with the goal of a GMP product will allow clinicians to access mission-critical medicines when needed - not only when, or if, available. The Generator is currently producing clinically useful amounts of Lead-212 daily and is being used by researchers in Australia, with a clinical trial scheduled for 4Q 2022.

It is ergonomically optimised for safe use within space and time constrained conditions. Safety features include: protective lead shielding, a compact bench-sized size, portable isotope generation capabilities, several complex sub-assemblies, a volume production solution (DFM) and an overall intuitive serviceability.