ITM Isotopen Technologien München AG (ITM), a radiopharmaceutical group of companies, announced today the lease of a new building in Neufahrn near Munich to increase the production capacity of no-carrier-added (n.c.a.) Lutetium-177 and high-purity (n.c.a.) Lutetium-177 containing radiopharmaceuticals. Lutetium-177, known under the brand name EndolucinBeta®, is an innovative medical isotope that has been used successfully in cancer therapy. With the expansion, ITM is following its sustained growth path, which aims to meet the growing worldwide demand for high quality medical isotopes for precision oncology.
The long term lease of the approximately 5000 m2 building in the NOVA industrial estate offers ideal conditions for ITM. In addition to the construction of a production unit with clean rooms, laboratories, and additional storage capacity it will provide office space for up to 140 employees under one roof. With its direct and fast connection to the airport the new site offers ideal conditions for the distribution of the therapeutic isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals via the company´s worldwide logistic network.
The construction of the facility for the production of medical isotopes has already begun. Further planning envisages that the employees will move into the new premises in autumn 2019. In 2020, the construction of the production unit used to produce radiopharmaceuticals containing Lutetium-177 will begin and is expected to be completed in 2021.
"We are very pleased with the opportunities that the new location offers," says Steffen Schuster, CEO of ITM. "The newly acquired space in the immediate vicinity of our head office is ideally suited for the development of new production capacities. The excellent infrastructure provides ideal conditions for delivering our high purity medical isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals to hospitals worldwide. The increase of the production capacity is in line with our strategy of sustainable global growth and our long term goal to ensure patient care through our world-class medical isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals for targeted cancer therapy worldwide.”
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About Targeted Radionuclide Therapy
Targeted Radionuclide Therapy is a medical specialty using very small amounts of radioactive compounds, called radiopharmaceuticals, to diagnose and treat various diseases, like cancer. Targeted radiopharmaceuticals contain a targeting molecule (e.g. peptide or antibody) and a medical radioactive isotope. The technique works by injecting the radio-conjugate into the patient’s body where it accumulates in the affected organs or lesions. The targeting molecule binds to a tumor- specific receptor or antigen, according to a lock and key principle and is absorbed by the tumor cells. In most cases the targeting molecule can be used for both diagnosis and therapy – only the radioisotope has to be changed. This opens up the way for the application of Theranostics. For diagnostic applications radioisotopes with short half-lives are used. Medical radioisotopes with longer half-lives are applied for treatment.
About n.c.a. Lutetium-177 (EndolucinBeta®)
No-carrier-added (n.c.a.) Lutetium-177 is used in Targeted Radionuclide Therapy in the field of Precision Oncology. It is a radiopharmaceutical precursor used for the radiolabeling of specific targeting molecules. N.c.a. Lutetium-177 is a synthetically produced low-energy Lutetium isotope emitting beta radiation. Used as a radiopharmaceutical, the Lutetium isotope releases radioactive cytotoxic beta particles in a maximum radius of 1.7 mm to the tumor tissue, which is then destroyed. A highly precise localization of the radioactivity ensures that healthy tissue in the surroundings of the targeted tumor is minimally affected. The special characteristic of no-carrier-added Lutetium-177 is its high purity as it contains no metastable Lutetium-177m. Opposed to other forms of Lutetium this eliminates the storage of contaminated radioactive waste and the cost-intensive logistics of the waste product. EndolucinBeta® is GMP certified and received marketing approval for the EU in 2016.
About ITM Isotopen Technologien München
ITM Isotopen Technologien München AG is a privately held group of companies dedicated to the development, production and global supply of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic radionuclides and radiopharmaceuticals. Since its foundation in 2004, ITM and its subsidiaries have established GMP manufacturing and a robust global supply network of novel, first-in-class medical radionuclides and generator platform for a new generation of targeted cancer diagnostics and therapies. Furthermore, ITM is developing a proprietary portfolio and growing pipeline of targeted treatments in various stages of clinical development, which address a range of cancers such as neuroendocrine cancers and bone metastases. ITM’s main objectives, together with its scientific, medical and industrial collaboration partners worldwide, are to significantly improve outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients while at the same time reducing side-effects and improving health economics through a new generation of Targeted Radionuclide Therapies in Precision Oncology. For more information about ITM, please visit: www.itm.ag
ITM Contact
Nicola Scharrer
Head of Marketing
Phone: +49 89 3298986-151
Email: Nicola.Scharrer(at)itm.ag
Media Contact – WE Communications
Sebastian Klein
Senior Account Executive
Phone: +49 89 628175-46
Email: ITM_AG(at)we-worldwide.com
ITM Isotopen Technologien München AG
Chairman of the Supervisory Board - Udo J. Vetter, Executive Board - Steffen Schuster (Chairman), Thomas Dürre
Registered Office of the Company - Lichtenbergstr. 1, 85748 Garching – Commercial Register Munich - HRB 154944
