Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited and Ekalia have agreed to develop astatine-211 production in Pennsylvania, seeking a U.S. source of the short-lived isotope for experimental cancer therapies.
The first planned U.S. installation would be at Telix’s RLS Radiopharmacies site in Trevose, where an IBA alpha-beam cyclotron is planned. Ekalia is a venture being formed by Ion Beam Applications S.A. (IBA) and Framatome. The companies announced the agreement Oct. 19.
The arrangement would give Telix priority, long-term access to part of the proposed production capacity for its targeted alpha therapy pipeline. The partners also intend to make capacity available to third-party academic and industry programs. They did not disclose how much the site might produce or how its costs would be shared.
Telix said the collaboration is expected to support development of TLX102-Tx, a candidate being evaluated for glioblastoma and leptomeningeal disease, as well as future astatine-211 programs. The announcement did not report clinical outcomes for TLX102-Tx.
Astatine-211 has a 7.2-hour half-life, making nearby production important for users. A 2026 review in EJNMMI Radiopharmacy and Chemistry also identified limits on the amount individual cyclotrons can produce. The authors said the combination calls for production when needed at sites spread across different locations.
IBA and Framatome announced plans for Ekalia on Oct. 16, naming Nantes, France, as its planned first production site overall. They expect it to begin operating in 2028. Trevose would be the venture’s first U.S. installation, and the partners may consider other RLS sites if demand develops.
Ekalia CEO Bruno Scutnaire said Telix’s existing U.S. network could speed the venture’s rollout there. The companies have not announced a commissioning date or production target for Trevose.
