ROSATOM opens a new front in fight against cancer

Federal Service for Surveillance in Healthcare (Roszdravnadzor) issued the registration certificate for production of domestic micro sources with the radioactive isotope iodine-125 for brachytherapy operations for cancer treatment for State Scientific Center of Russian Federation – Institute for Physics and Power Engineering Named after A. I. Leypunsky (part of the research division of ROSATOM).

"ROSATOM has made another step in the development of nuclear medicine, bringing a new medication to mass production. It is real help for people with cancer and we will develop this direction. Besides, micro-sources for brachytherapy is a competitive product that can enter the international market "- said Vyacheslav Pershukov, Deputy Director General - Director of the Innovations Management Unit of State Corporation ROSATOM.

“It is pure import substitution. Now we have the right to deliver our products to oncology centers, public and private clinics, etc. for the price several times cheaper than foreign analogues. There is a lot of work for the growth of production – increasing of work-shifts, involvement of all equipment, and we have all the resources to do this”, said General Director of SSC RF – IPPE Andrew Goverdovsky.

Currently, the experts of the SSC RF – IPPE in collaboration with physicians, develop approaches for a slight change in nomenclature, so that not only brachytherapy of the prostate but also other organs.

For reference:

Brachytherapy — a type of radiation therapy of cancer of the prostate. In the course of medical procedures specifically calculated dose of radiation is delivered directly to the tumor without damaging the surrounding tissues and organs. The brachytherapy, typically performed on an outpatient basis or with the patient's stay in the hospital for several days. The majority of patients after brachytherapy is not faced with the recurrence of the disease within an average of 10 years. The first operation in brachytherapy of malignant tumors of the prostate using completely Russian micro-sources of the isotope iodine-125 took place on 9 October 2015 at the Medical radiological research center. A. F. Tsyb (Obninsk), the branch of the Federal State Budget Institution "National Medical Research Radiological Center" of  Russian Ministry of health.

Isotope iodine-125 is produced in the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors of SC ROSATOM (RIAR, Dimitrovgrad) in the required quantities, micro-sources with the isotope are made in IPPE. Basics of the project were established about 10 years ago, as the result domestic high-tech product was obtained that also has significant export potential. State Scientific Center of Russian Federation – Institute for Physics and Power Engineering Named after A. I. Leypunsky is situated in Obninsk city. Obninsk is the world leader in the area of use of liquid metals as heat transfer agents in NPPs with fast reactors, marine and space nuclear power plants. Institute’s works in the sphere of nuclear physics, nuclear Power Technologies and nuclear security won global recognition. Experimental researches in areas of nuclear-laser physics and plasma physics, radiative study of materials, Radiochemistry and new high-end technologies including nanotechnologies, hydrogen energy and nuclear medicine technologies are held in State Scientific Center of Russian Federation – Institute for Physics and Power Engineering.