Tiverton nuclear energy company Bruce Power has signed an agreement to explore the feasibility of producing a medical isotope used to fight liver cancer.
Bruce Power says in a news release it has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Boston Scientific for producing yttrium-90 (Y-90) in its reactors.
According to information provided by Bruce Power, TheraSphere made by Boston Scientific is a targeted liver cancer therapy consisting of millions of microscopic, irradiated Y-90 glass microspheres used to treat hepatic malignancies.
“Through this collaboration, Bruce Power will play a critical role in ensuring Boston Scientific customers and their patients have dependable access to a reliable, made-in-Canada supply of TheraSphere devices, which are currently distributed to 30 countries,” a statement from Bruce Power explains.
Bruce Power is already a leading producer of cobalt-60, which is used to sterilize approximately 40 per cent of the world’s single-use medical devices.
The nuclear power company will also soon become the first operator to commercially produce lutetium-177 — an isotope used in radiation therapy to treat certain tumours and prostate cancer — in an isotope production system recently installed in Bruce Power’s Unit 7 during a planned maintenance outage.
“The installation of our isotope production system to produce lutetium-177 is a huge milestone, and it is equally as exciting to continue to look for new ways to use our reliable irradiation capability and further expand our production of cancer-fighting medical isotopes at Bruce Power,” says Peter McDermid, Bruce Power Director of Isotopes and Site Energy Develop, Business Development & Energy Innovation.
