SK biopharmaceuticals signs contract with US-based TerraPower to receive high-purity radioisotopes

SK biopharmaceuticals said Thursday that it has signed a contract to introduce Ac-225 (225Ac, Actinium-225), a therapeutic radioisotope, from TerraPower Isotopes (TPI), a subsidiary of TerraPower in the United States.

Ac-225 is a radioisotope that emits alpha rays. It is used in radiopharmaceuticals to treat prostate, colon, and pancreatic cancers. According to SK biopharmaceuticals, the company will secure the first batch of Ac-225 in October under the supply agreement in keeping with its R&D plans.

In July last year, SK biopharmaceuticals announced its new mid- to long-term growth strategy, “Financial Story,” identifying targeted protein degradation (TPD) therapies, radiopharmaceutical therapies (RPTs), and cell and gene therapies (CGTs) as its three next-generation modalities. Ac-225 is a therapeutic radioisotope, an essential component of radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT).

RPT is an innovative new cancer treatment technology that uses a cell-killing radioisotope loaded onto a target-binding material and administered in trace amounts to the body. Although it is expected to be highly effective, it is considered an area with high barriers to entry due to the short half-life of radioisotopes and difficulty securing stable raw materials.

Company officials said this agreement is significant because SK biopharmaceuticals has stably secured high-purity Ac-225, which is in absolute short supply in the current market.

Based on the Ac-225 secured by this agreement, SK biopharmaceuticals can quickly establish additional partnerships to enhance business value in the RPT field. In addition, by securing TPI's proven high-purity Ac-225, SK biopharmaceuticals can lead the development of radiopharmaceuticals in the relatively nascent RPT field, the company added.

Above all, the company emphasized that the group's investment was a bold and proactive move.

In August 2022, the SK Group participated in TerraPower as a co-lead investor with an equity investment of about 300 billion won ($224 million).

“With the support of the SK Group, we could quickly secure the radioisotope, a key competitive element in the RPT field,” SK biopharmaceuticals CEO Lee Dong-hoon said. “The Ac-225 acquired through this agreement will help us to develop new RPT drugs and lead the partnership and ecosystem.”