Areva buys isotope developer

Areva's nuclear medicine subsidiary, Areva Med, has acquired Macrocyclics for an undisclosed sum.

Areva Med, based in Bethesda, Md., develops methods for producing lead-212 (212Pb), a radioactive isotope being studied as new treatment against cancer.

Macrocyclics, based in Dallas, produces chelators (a “molecular cage” used to attach isotopes to monoclonal antibodies), chemical agents that allow for the attachment of antibodies or proteins with radioactive isotopes for the development of nuclear medical treatments targeted against certain types of cancer. 

In January, the FDA gave Areva Med authorization to begin clinical trials for a new medicine using lead-212 to combat particularly aggressive types of cancer.  

Also, Areva is building a new facility, the Maurice Tubiana Laboratory, to produce medical-grade lead-212 in the Limousin region of France.  

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