Search Results

Southwest University of Science and Technology Releases Medical Radioactive Waste Treatment Technology Covering Liquid, Gas, and Solid Waste Management

On August 10, the Mianyang Science and Technology City Strategic Development Research Center held an online innovation achievement release conference, unveiling a medical radioactive waste treatment technology developed by the School of National Defense Science and Technology / School of Nuclear Science and Technology at Southwest University of Science and Technology. The technology targets radioactive contaminants including liquid waste, off-gas, and solid waste generated during nuclear medicine diagnosis and treatment, offering a full-chain comprehensive treatment solution. The conference attracted 87,000 experts in the nuclear medicine field, departmental representatives, and enterprise users. With the rapid development of the domestic nuclear medicine industry, insufficient radioactive waste disposal capacity has gradually become a key issue facing the industry's safe expansion. Relevant data show that over 96% of nuclear medicine departments nationwide are constrained by decay tank capacity...

2026-08-13

South Korea Advances First Domestic Commercial Production of Lu-177 Using Wolsong Heavy Water Reactors

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) plans to use the heavy water reactors at the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant to produce, for the first time domestically, the radioisotope lutetium-177 (Lu-177) for cancer treatment. Currently, South Korea relies entirely on imports for this material, which imposes cost pressures and supply instability on local radiopharmaceutical companies such as Cellbion and FutureChem. Industry experts generally believe that domestic production will help build a diversified supply chain and shorten transportation times. The primary goal of this plan is to achieve commercial production of Lu-177, with pilot production expected in 2028 and full-scale production commencing in 2031. Subsequently, KHNP will expand production to include cobalt...

2026-08-06

South Korea advances plan to produce medical isotopes using nuclear power plants, with lutetium-177 targeted for commercial production in 2031

South Korea is advancing plans to industrialize the production of radioisotopes using nuclear power plants, with the medical isotope lutetium-177 (Lu-177) designated as the first commercial target product. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power stated that it plans to prioritize the commercialization of Lu-177 production, with the potential to later expand the product range to include isotopes such as cobalt-60, tritium-3, and helium-3. Lu-177 is a therapeutic radioisotope widely used in the global radiopharmaceutical market, applicable in radiopharmaceuticals for diseases such as prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors. Previously, South Korea relied entirely on imports for its Lu-177 supply. Due to its half-life of approximately 6.6 days, the entire process from production and transportation to drug preparation and patient administration...

2026-08-06

US FDA Approves Pluvicto Expanded Indication for Treatment of PSMA-Positive Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer

On July 31, 2026, Novartis announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Pluvicto® (lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan) in combination with an androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI) for the treatment of patients with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-positive metastatic androgen pathway modulation-naive/sensitive prostate cancer. This disease is commonly referred to as metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). The approval is based on results from the Phase III PSMAddition trial. The study showed that compared with standard of care alone, namely ARPI combined with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), Pluvicto plus standard of care reduced the risk of disease progression or death by...

2026-08-03

South Korea Plans to Establish Radioisotope Commercialization Company, Targeting Trial Production in 2028

According to sources inside and outside the South Korean government on July 31, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and relevant departments including the Ministry of Economy and Finance plan to discuss the establishment of a special purpose company (SPC) for radioisotope commercialization. The company is proposed to be set up as a subsidiary of KHNP, with domestic private enterprises, including pharmaceutical companies, expected to participate in investment. Under the current plan, the South Korean government will determine the specific investment structure and business plan through inter-departmental consultations this year, and strive to complete the company's establishment by 2027. Subsequently, the relevant parties will push forward facility construction to produce radioisotopes using nuclear power plants, with the goal of commencing trial production in 2028. Radioisot...

2026-08-01