TerraPower and Cardinal Health announce manufacturing and distribution agreement for Actinium-225

August 12, 2021

BELLEVUE, Washington, and DUBLIN, Ohio – August 12, 2021 – TerraPower and Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH) today announced an agreement that will help advance the next generation of cancer treatment. Under the agreement, the companies will work together to develop and produce Actinium-225 for use in drug development and commercial sales.

“Through TerraPower Isotopes®, our team harnesses our focus on nuclear science and innovation and applies it to the health care sector to enable the development of targeted and potentially lifesaving cancer treatments,” said Scott Claunch, president of TerraPower Isotopes. “Our collaboration with Cardinal Health brings us another step closer to increasing access to Actinium-225 and making advanced treatments available to patients.”

Since 2018, TerraPower has been working to increase supply of Actinium-225 from Thorium-229 decay, which is derived from legacy U.S. nuclear material. Actinium-225 is an alpha-emitting radionuclide with significant promise in effectively treating cancer patients. It can be attached to a targeting molecule, which will then selectively target and destroy cancerous tissue.

Under this agreement, Cardinal Health will produce and distribute TerraPower’s Actinium-225 product, which will be utilized in drug trials involving targeted alpha therapy for diseases such as breast, prostate, colon and neuroendocrine cancers, melanoma and lymphoma. The current global supply of Actinium-225 is very limited but with this agreement, it is anticipated that the companies will be able to significantly increase availability of the radionuclide.

“There is incredible growth projected for the nuclear medicine industry over the next 5-10 years, with much of that growth coming in the area of theranostics[1], which combines a diagnostic and therapeutic together for individualized patient treatment at the cellular level, like the radiolabeled Actinium-225 drugs,” said Tiffany Olson, president of Nuclear & Precision Health Solutions at Cardinal Health. “We are excited to be a part of this growth as we work with TerraPower to accelerate this important advancement in precision health.”

About TerraPower

TerraPower is a leading nuclear innovation company that strives to improve the world through nuclear energy and science. Since it was founded by Bill Gates and a group of like-minded visionaries, TerraPower has emerged as an incubator and developer of ideas and technologies that offer energy independence, environmental sustainability, medical advancement and other cutting-edge opportunities. It accepts and tackles some of the world’s most difficult challenges. Behind each of its innovations and programs, TerraPower actively works to bring together the strengths and experiences of the world’s public and private sectors to answer pressing global needs. Learn more at https://terrapower.com.

About Cardinal Health

Cardinal Health is a distributor of pharmaceuticals, a global manufacturer and distributor of medical and laboratory products, and a provider of performance and data solutions for health care facilities. With 50 years in business, operations in more than 40 countries and approximately 48,000 employees globally, Cardinal Health is essential to care. Information about Cardinal Health is available at cardinalhealth.com.

Media Contacts TerraPower:
press@terrapower.com

Cardinal Health: Betsy Chaffee, betsy.chaffee@cardinalhealth.com, 614.757.6219

[1] MEDraysintell Nuclear Medicine Report & Directory, 2019

Subscribe

Be the first to hear about TerraPower's latest innovations, partnerships and breakthroughs.