BURLINGTON, Mass. — QSA Global Inc. and NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes LLC have entered into a multi-year strategic partnership aimed at strengthening the supply chain for actinium-225, a radioisotope used in targeted alpha therapies.
Burlington-based QSA Global is a manufacturer of specialized radioactive sources and provider of medical radiochemical services. NorthStar, based in Beloit, Wis., is a radiopharmaceutical company focused on commercial-scale radioisotope production.
The companies said the agreement is designed to secure radium-226 targets, the starting material used in actinium-225 production. The partnership will support NorthStar’s production of no carrier added actinium-225 for next-generation targeted alpha therapies.
Under the agreement, QSA Global will process legacy radium-226 for NorthStar through a multi-year purification campaign. The material will be converted into high-purity precursors used in target capsule manufacturing.
After irradiation and processing by NorthStar to produce no carrier added actinium-225, the recovered radium will be returned to QSA Global for recycling into new targets. The companies said the process will create a closed-loop supply chain.
“This multi-year agreement with QSA Global strengthens our supply chain with a reliable, high-quality supply of Ra-226 targets critical to our n.c.a. Ac-225 production capabilities,” said Dr. Frank Scholz, president and CEO of NorthStar. “By ensuring consistent access to these vital starting materials, we can confidently meet growing demand within the industry.”
QSA Global said the partnership combines its experience in high-activity source handling, regulatory compliance and logistics with NorthStar’s commercial-scale radiopharmaceutical production capabilities.
“By managing the complex, highly regulated lifecycle of radium-226, QSA Global enables partners like NorthStar to focus their resources entirely on commercial Actinium-225 production,” said Joe Lapinskas, innovation director at QSA Global Inc. “NorthStar was a foundational partner as we developed our specialized radium services. We are proud to leverage our decades of high-activity radioactive materials expertise to help secure this critical supply chain and support NorthStar’s mission of delivering life-saving TATs to patients.”
NorthStar said actinium-225 is an alpha-emitting radioisotope that can deliver highly localized radiation directly to diseased cells. The isotope can be attached to targeting molecules such as antibodies, peptides and small molecules, allowing precise delivery to cancer cells.
The company said actinium-225 is being used to support development of next-generation radiopharmaceutical therapies designed to be highly selective and effective.
