The European Commission has approved a €2 billion Dutch measure to support the PALLAS project in its construction of a nuclear reactor aimed at producing medical radioisotopes.
Leaders in the Netherlands notified the commission of its plan to support the project, which includes a nuclear health centre, aiming to ensure security of supply for the medicine.
The new facility, will replace the existing high flux reactor at the Joint Research Centre in Petten in north west Netherlands, one of the world leaders in the production of medical isotopes, in operation since 1961.
'True dedication is needed'
Sue Johnson, professional officer Clinical Imaging at the SoR, explained that the SoR welcomed the news, as it would help secure supply in the long term – but nonetheless warned that medical radioisotope supply issues “continue to cause significant disruption to patients and services in the short and medium term”.
Ms Johnson added: “Our members are working hard to flex appointments and working time around intermittent or poor supply, which, when considered alongside the additional challenges of the lack of investment in radiopharmacy services in recent years causing additional supply problems, makes for a stressful working environment.
“True dedication is needed from our members and the other members of the nuclear medicine workforce to ensure that patients can access the investigations and treatments they need. The new reactor will not resolve this in the short term.”
Essential medicines and breakthrough innovations
The nuclear health centre will process the medical isotopes produced by the reactor into radiochemicals, which will then be further processed into radiopharmaceuticals that can be administered to patients for the diagnosis and treatment of several diseases including cancer.
The reactor and the nuclear health centre will also be used to conduct research, development and innovation activities both in the field of nuclear medicine and nuclear power technology.
Margrethe Vestager, executive vice-president in charge of competition policy at the commission, said: “This €2 billion measure enables the Netherlands to support a strategic project contributing to the securing of supply of essential medicines and to the development of breakthrough innovations in the field of nuclear technology to the benefit of European citizens.”
Medical uses of radioisotopes
Nuclear medicine uses radioisotopes in a variety of ways, for example as a tracer – the material is taken orally, or is injected or inhaled into the body, before circulating through the body or is taken up only by certain tissues.
The emitted radiation can then be captured by various imaging techniques, such as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or positron emission tomography (PET), depending on the radioisotope used. Through such imaging, blood flow to specific organs and organ function or bone growth can be assessed.
Radioisotopes are also used during radiotherapy to bombard those undergoing cancer treatment with ionising radiation.
10 years in the making
The new reactor is intended to start operating in the early 2030s.
Under the measure, the aid will take the form of loans and equity for a total amount of approximately €2 billion (£1.6 billion) to a newly established company (‘NewCo') that will build and operate the reactor and the nuclear health centre.
NewCo will result from the merger of the PALLAS Foundation, set up by the Netherlands in 2013 to manage the preparatory phase of the project, and the Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group that operates the existing high flux reactor.
The decision follows a 2013 commission's decision approving aid to the preparatory phase of the PALLAS project.
(Image: The Pallas Project Energy and Health Campus, via Pallas Reactor)