"Cancer-fighting nuclear bomb" achieves mass production in Dongguan; nuclear drug prices are expected to drop by over 60%

On March 28, significant news emerged from the technology sector in our country: the major scientific infrastructure located in Dongguan Songshan Lake Science City—the Spallation Neutron Source—achieved curie-level mass production of medical-grade α isotopes (Actinium-225, Radium-223), marking a groundbreaking shift in a field that has long been monopolized by Europe and the United States, bringing new hope to cancer patients.

On the same day, the Spallation Neutron Source Science Center signed a strategic agreement with China Synchrotron Radiation Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “China Synchrotron Radiation Technology”) to build an entire industry chain system from isotope preparation to drug development, accelerating the transition of China’s independent α radiopharmaceuticals from the laboratory to clinical application, bringing new hope to cancer patients.

“α isotopes act like biologically guided nuclear bombs that can precisely eliminate cancer cells. In the past, we relied entirely on imports, limiting treatment for tens of thousands of patients each year in our country. This breakthrough not only resolves the supply bottleneck but also drives down the price of radiopharmaceuticals by over 60%, making anti-cancer nuclear bombs accessible to ordinary patients,” said Wang Sheng, Director of the Spallation Neutron Source Science Center and head of the α isotope industrialization project.

Medical-grade α isotopes achieve curie-level mass production

Wang Sheng introduced that each year, new cancer patients in our country account for one-quarter of the world’s new cases, with a mortality rate exceeding 50%. Thanks to their unique advantage of “high energy and short range,” α isotopes can accurately kill cancer cells while causing minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissues, being hailed as “biologically guided nuclear bombs” for tumor treatment, holding significant clinical value for targeted therapy in late-stage tumors.

However, for a long time, core therapeutic α isotopes such as Actinium-225 and Radium-223 were completely reliant on imports, and the supply was scarce. Their mass production faced multiple technical barriers involving “target development” and “efficient separation,” which has become a recognized global industry challenge, also restricting the development of China’s α radiopharmaceutical industry.

China’s Spallation Neutron Source has achieved curie-level mass production of medical-grade α isotopes. Photo provided by the interviewee.

Breaking the long-standing reliance on imports, the turning point came from the “national key project” of the Spallation Neutron Source located in Dongguan Songshan Lake Science City, Guangdong.

The research and development team of the Spallation Neutron Source project used the device’s high-energy proton beam to irradiate special target materials, combined with independently developed purification processes, to extract Actinium-225, Radium-223, Lead-212/Bismuth-212 in a single batch for the first time in July 2025, achieving a radioactive purity of over 99% and elevating the single batch output to curie levels, with quality comparable to imported products. This achievement not only breaks the long-standing reliance on imports for medical α isotopes in our country but also establishes an economically viable localized production pathway.

It is reported that a curie is a unit of radioactivity, with 1 curie equal to 1000 millicuries. One millicurie of Actinium-225 can approximately meet the treatment amount for 5 cycles for one patient. After further process optimization, the Spallation Neutron Source is expected to possess the capability to supply curie-level Lead-212/Bismuth-212 in bulk annually in the near future.

To meet the clinical demand for large-scale applications, the Spallation Neutron Source Science Center is advancing the construction of a dedicated α isotope production line with 300MeV and 100kW, which, once completed, will achieve an annual production capacity of hundreds of curies, sufficient to supply nearly a million doses of radiopharmaceuticals.

“There is an urgent demand for efficient and low-toxicity new therapies such as α isotope therapy among cancer patients in our country. This breakthrough not only resolves the supply bottleneck but also drives down the price of radiopharmaceuticals by over 60%, making the ‘anti-cancer nuclear bomb’ accessible to ordinary patients,” Wang Sheng stated.

Three years will drive the nuclear pharmaceutical industry scale to exceed 10 billion

It is understood that Radium-223 has been approved for clinical treatment of bone metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, while Actinium-225 and Lead-212 (Bismuth-212) have also shown significant efficacy in targeted therapy research for late-stage prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors. The mass production of domestically sourced isotopes will provide stable support for related clinical research and applications.

The high-purity α isotopes produced by the Spallation Neutron Source Science Center, meeting medical standards, will serve as the core starting material for targeted drugs, which pharmaceutical companies will prepare into clinically usable targeted α therapeutic drugs.

The Spallation Neutron Source Science Center signed a strategic agreement with China Synchrotron Radiation Technology. Photo provided by the interviewed organization.

On that day, the Spallation Neutron Source Science Center and China Synchrotron Radiation Technology signed a strategic agreement, where both parties will leverage their respective strengths. The Spallation Neutron Source Science Center will focus on the research and development, production process optimization, and mass production of α isotopes, continuously enhancing isotope purity and production capacity; China Synchrotron Radiation Technology will be responsible for supply chain construction and market promotion, facilitating the transformation of isotopic products into clinical medications. The two parties will jointly tackle drug labeling technology, accelerate the research and development of targeted drugs for prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors, and cultivate high-level talent teams through the establishment of a market-oriented research and development transformation mechanism, jointly overcoming key technical challenges in the research, development, and industrialization of α isotope-labeled drugs.

Wang Sheng expressed, “This cooperation coincides with the rapid development period of the radioactive drug market in our country. The strong alliance between the Spallation Neutron Source Science Center and China Synchrotron Radiation Technology will not only achieve self-controlled supply of α isotopes but also drive the upgrade of the entire industry chain from isotope preparation, drug development to clinical application, making the previously ‘scarce and expensive’ anti-cancer nuclear drugs accessible and affordable. In the next three years, it will drive the scale of our nuclear pharmaceutical industry to exceed 10 billion, providing core technological support for a healthy China.”

(Source: 21st Century Economic Report)