Community Matters: Bruce Power advancing medical isotope production and saving lives

At Bruce Power, we’re extremely proud of our track record when it comes to building relationships and collaborating with a number of stakeholders – our employees, our suppliers, our communities, our governments, and our schools. There is nothing we can’t do when we bring together committed, smart people with a shared goal of making a difference.

Over the past three years, we’ve been increasing our presence around supporting the production of medical isotopes and our ability to help save lives of people around the world. We often associate nuclear technology with reactors that generate great quantities of clean energy to power their homes and businesses, but that technology is also playing a pivotal role in the field of nuclear medicine.

Last month, we announced we are joining forces with Kinectrics and Framatome to advance an innovative project to enable the production of a key medical isotope, Lutetium-177, used to treat prostate cancer. Innovation in targeted cancer therapies is creating a significant worldwide demand for life-saving isotopes, such as Lutetium-177. Utilizing the reactors at Bruce Power will help to ensure this key medical isotope will be delivered to patients in Canada and around the world, reliably and affordably.

The partnership will focus on achieving production in 2022, following regulatory and other approvals. Bruce Power will also be working with all levels of government to move forward a number of strategic export and business development opportunities connected with this project to align with several key public policy areas.

The partnership will seek to leverage the multi-unit Bruce site to provide a stable, redundant supply of Lutetium-177 for many decades to come. Kinectrics and Framatome Canada Ltd. have teamed up to develop an isotope production system deployable on all Bruce Power units that can also support the future production of other isotopes in addition to Lutetium-177.

Medical-grade Lutetium is used to destroy cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unaffected. Bruce Power is also a significant source of Cobalt-60 which is used for the sterilization of medical equipment around the world, as well as a specialized form of cancer treatment called the Gamma Knife.

Bruce Power is a founding member of the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council which will ensure Canada remains a world leader in the production of life-saving radioisotopes by raising awareness and supporting long-term policies at the domestic and international level. More than 30 leading organizations in Canada and around the world have joined the council, which will develop collective solutions to maintain our country’s leadership position on the global isotope stage.

Canada’s radioisotope innovations continue to serve as a model for leadership, using science to find solutions to real world challenges. We believe there’s also a leadership role for Bruce Power in working with the scientists, engineers and doctors to keep finding new ways for medical isotopes to improve the lives and health of people around the world.

Have a safe and enjoyable summer, and feel free to contact me at james.scongack@brucepower.com or on Twitter @jscongack.