entX to decide on radiopharmaceutical, defence facility in 2024

Radiopharmaceutical developer entX Ltd is poised to make a decision to green light construction of a radiopharmaceutical production facility targeting cancer treatment with radioactive isotopes.

The facility is supported by a $1.9 million Economic Recovery Fund (ERF) grant from the South Australian Government as well as a $2,915,000 Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) grant announced in Round 16 earlier this week.

The grants support entX’s ‘Mines to Medicines – Sovereign Nuclear Medicine Supply Chains from Waste’ project within its Nuclear Medicine business, IsoMedica.

According to entX: “We are embarking on a groundbreaking initiative to establish a sovereign supply chain for lead-212 (Pb-212), a vital isotope used in Targeted Alpha Therapy (TAT) for advanced metastatic cancers, including prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumours.

“This facility will accelerate IsoMedica’s capability to supply commercial quantities of these isotopes into the existing and expanding markets.

“A final investment decision for the production facility, including satisfaction of grant conditions, is anticipated prior to the end of CY2024 with first revenues expected within 12 months of facility construction.”

entX is producing demonstration quantities of Pb-212 and its pre-cursors at its current laboratories in Adelaide, with preliminary agreements in place to begin supplying isotopes to global customers from Q1 2025.

IsoMedica has also made significant progress in the development of another radioisotope Lu-177 precursor production methods at bench scale, according to entX.

“The team is now preparing for mini-pilot operations to prove the scaleability of the process to facilitate progression of discussions with potential off-takers.”

entX is also developing two potential defence and space projects.

GenX Betavoltaics involves the conversion of energy from beta-emitting isotopes into longlasting power sources for extreme-duration military and space applications.

The project addresses the growing demand for extreme-duration power sources.

Meanwhile the company’s proposed Radioisotope Heating Units (RHUs) are designed to provide critical survival heat during lunar missions, targeting small payloads and semi-permanent installations.

The RHUs leverage safe, commercially viable radioisotopes that emit heat.

Further reading:
HPA processing, ‘4D digital twins’ and breakthrough hydrogen storage among newly-funded CRC-P projects

Picture: entX