AREVA Med Inaugurates Second Lead-212 Production Facility

AREVA Med has launched operations at its second high-purity lead-212 (212Pb) production facility located in Plano, Texas. Known as the DDPU (Domestic Distribution and Purification Unit), this facility was officially inaugurated this week.

Lead-212 is used in Targeted Alpha Therapy (TAT) in an increasing number of innovative studies to target cancer cells, while limiting the impact on nearby healthy cells.

In a centralized modular plant, the DDPU will hold all AREVA Med’s U.S. activities and those of its subsidiary Macrocyclics, the global leader in the design and manufacturing of chelating agents* for nuclear medicine. With brand new equipment, this state-of-the-art facility, which will employ 10 people, is an opportunity for AREVA Med to expand the range and increase the quality of products and services for its American partners and customers. Thanks to this increased production capacity, AREVA Med will accelerate the development of innovative Targeted Alpha Therapies using lead-212 to combat cancer.

Patrick Bourdet, AREVA Med’s CEO said: “Our new modular and unique US plant will allow us to quickly expand our cancer therapy pipeline and increase collaboration within the entire continent.”


*A chelating agent is a “molecular cage” used to attach isotopes to biological carriers such as monoclonal antibodies targeting cancer cells.