Meeting rising demand
Radiopharmaceutical Therapy (RPT) is offering several advantages over existing therapeutic strategies. The highly sought-after therapeutics require a sophisticated supply chain, as radioisotopes have short half-lives and must be delivered to patients with extreme speed and efficiency. ITM rises to this challenge as one of the largest global providers and developers of medical radioisotopes for this novel therapy.
Radiopharmaceutical Therapy has emerged as a promising, targeted cancer therapy with the potential to reduce the risk of both short- and long-term treatment effects while proving effective at detecting and killing the smallest deposits of cancer cells throughout the body. As such, the radioisotopes used in these treatment regimens have become precious commodities, and the quick rise in their demand means that companies are met with new challenges in terms of optimising their manufacturing and supply capabilities. As a global leader in this space, ITM ensures its ability to supply over 600 clinics in more than 60 countries with sophisticated production and distribution methods.
ITMs production capacities
Radioisotopes must maintain a certain level of activity to be effective. This means that ITM only has a narrow window (24-48 hours within Europe, max. 72 hours for the rest of the world) in which to deliver. Additionally, radioisotopes cannot be pre-produced and stored. Each patient dose is filled with the ordered amount of activity for one treatment.
ITM has established a strong manufacturing position to meet these rigorous requirements and to serve a growing number of patients. The company recently opened NOVA in Neufahrn, near Munich, the worlds largest production site of Lutetium-177, a novel medical radioisotope used in targeted cancer therapies. NOVA is located near the companys existing manufacturing facility in Garching and will increase ITMs already robust capacity to supply clinics, pharmaceutical partners, and its own pipeline.
A strong team is essential
Beyond having the right production facilities in place, ITM has to react quickly to spikes in demand and handle any potential roadblocks. The team has established a global reactor network to be able to switch to other facilities in the unlikely event of outages. Many tasks are also supported by digital solutions, including ITMs self-programmed planning system which is capable of taking half-lives into account.
The companys success is based, above all, on its expert employees, who find creative solutions to sudden problems and collaborate to ensure orders for radioisotopes are fulfilled in a timely and efficient manner. ITM often receives and reacts to orders that are placed only one week to a few days before a patient starts treatment. In a system as fluid and multi-layered as a radiopharmaceutical supply chain, this human element remains essential. The ITM team takes its responsibility seriously to ensure that as many cancer patients as possible have access to promising radiopharmaceutical treatments worldwide.
Contact:
ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE
Walther-von-Dyck-Strasse 4
85748 Garching / Munich, Germany
info@itm-radiopharma.com
Phone: +49 89 329 8986 6000
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