Fleurus (Belgium) and Wuhan (China), 06 June 2024, – IRE ELiT, a leading global player in the field of radiopharmaceuticals, is pleased to announce the signing of a distribution agreement with Grand Pharmaceutical (China) Co., Ltd. (“Grand Pharma”, and its subsidiary Chengdu Purevalley Medical Technology Co., Ltd.), a major pharmaceutical conglomerate, for the distribution of its Galli Eo (Gallium-68 generator) in China. This strategic partnership underscores IRE ELiT’s commitment to expanding its footprint in one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing markets for radiopharmaceuticals.

Fleurus, Belgium, March 28th, 2023 – The Institute for Radioelements (IRE), world leader in the production of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), the most widely used radioisotope in nuclear medicine for diagnosis, and iodine-131 (I-131) essential and irreplaceable radionuclide for thyroid cancer treatments, announced today the complete conversion of its production process to low-enriched uranium (LEU).

From 2026 onwards, the nuclear research centre SCK CEN will transform radioactive residues into low-enriched uranium and will purify them in its brand new RECUMO facility. These residues resulting from the production of medical radioisotopes on the site of the Institut National des Radioéléments (IRE). Today, the first sod was turned for the RECUMO building. With it, IRE and SCK CEN are literally creating a European first on Belgian soil.

SCK CEN, the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, and the National Institute for Radioelements (IRE) are going to start the large-scale production of lutetium-177. This decision, validated today by the signature of the two partners, opens up opportunities for cancer patients. Among other things, this radioisotope is very promising for the treatment of prostate cancer. This type of cancer is responsible for 90,000 deaths each year in Europe.

Fleurus, 22 February 2022 – Since 2018, the National Institute for Radioelements (IRE) has been working with the Dutch company ASML on the SMART project. Its goal: to develop a new technology to produce a radioisotope that is crucial to nuclear medicine, without using uranium. February 2022 marks a turning point in the future of this ambitious project since a proof of concept test has recently validated the main principles of this unprecedented technology. This is a major step in the design and engineering phase, the success of which will allow confirmation of technical choices during 2022 in preparation for the Board of Directors’ decision regarding investment in an industrial facility.