Targeted Alpha Therapy with Lead-212 against Cancer

Discover a breakthrough therapeutic innovation : the development of targeted alpha therapies in oncology leveraging the unique properties of lead-212.

• Challenges

  • Address unmet medical needs for numerous cancers
  • Open promising prospects for patients not responding to existing treatments

• Our Solution

  • Develop a new generation of targeted therapies against cancer using the unique properties of lead-212 (²¹²Pb), a rare alpha-emitting radioisotope and one of the most potent therapeutic payloads against cancer cells.
  • Focus research on pathologies where unmet medical needs remain significant
  • Accelerate the transition from research to clinic through dedicated infrastructures
  • Rely on production capacities in France and the United States to secure the supply of these therapies for clinical trials and potential commercialization.

• Key Features

  • 2009 : creation of Orano Med following promising studies conducted by Areva (ex Orano) with the U.S. National Cancer Institute
  • +10 years of research and development in targeted alpha therapy
  • High biological efficacy: alpha particles from ²¹²Pb cause irreparable double-strand DNA breaks, leading to rapid destruction of cancer cells (fewer than 5 alpha emissions are required to destroy a tumor cell)
  • Reduced toxicity: short range of alpha particles (2 to 5 cell layers), minimizing impact on surrounding healthy tissues
  • Half-life of 10.6 hours: suitable for outpatient administration and simplified radioactive waste management
  • Clean decay chain: a single alpha emission, reducing the risk of off-target toxicity
  • Effective targeting of cancer cells  through R&D and the use of stable, high-performance chelators
  • Theranostic compatibility with lead-203, a gamma emitter suitable for treatment monitoring through imaging

• Useful Links