Rosatom, Russia`s state atomic energy corporation, has commenced regular deliveries of a samarium-153-based radiopharmaceutical to the Northwestern Federal District (NWFD). This significant development marks an expansion in the availability of this crucial medication for patients in St. Petersburg, who previously had to travel to other regions for treatment.
The deliveries are being carried out by JSC «V/O Isotope,» a subsidiary within Rosatom`s Scientific Division. The drug, which plays a vital role in nuclear medicine for treating various oncological diseases, is now accessible at the Academician A.M. Granov Russian Research Center of Radiology and Surgical Technologies (RNCRST) in St. Petersburg. Historically, samarium-153 was primarily used in clinical practice across the Central, Volga, Siberian, Ural, and Far Eastern federal districts.
The precursor material for samarium-153 isotope production is irradiated, in part, using the RBMK-1000 reactors at the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant, which is part of Rosatom`s Electric Power Division. Since 2024, specialists at the plant have successfully completed a series of tests, confirming the viability of stable industrial-scale production and efficient logistics for this short-lived isotope. According to Vladimir Pereguda, director of the Leningrad NPP, the operational lifespan of the plant`s channel reactors has been extended until 2030, ensuring a sustained increase in isotope production.
The sole Russian manufacturer of both the ready-to-use solution for intravenous injection and the raw samarium-153 isotope is the Karpov Institute of Physical Chemistry (NIFKhI), also part of Rosatom`s Scientific Division. Oleg Kononov, General Director of NIFKhI, noted that industrial production of the radiopharmaceutical began as early as 2004, with shipments of samarium chloride commencing in 2016. He emphasized that broadening the geographical reach of these supplies will contribute to a more stable condition for a greater number of patients.
The logistics of supplying samarium-153 present inherent challenges due to its brief half-life of only 46.5 hours. Nevertheless, Maxim Kushnaryov, General Director of V/O Isotope, affirmed the company`s commitment to ensuring stable nationwide deliveries of radiopharmaceuticals, spanning from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok. He underscored their active support for integrating advanced domestic technological solutions into clinical practice, aimed at combating severe diseases and enhancing patients` quality of life.
