Brachytherapy Treatment Using Yttrium-90 Potentially Minimizes Radiation Dose

(AMIC; Kennewick, WA, USA), a company engaged in the production and distribution of medical isotopes, has entered into an agreement to further develop a proprietary brachytherapy treatment with Battelle (Columbus, OH, USA), which operates the Pacific Northwest [U.S.] National Laboratory (PNNL; Richmond, WA, USA), and the department of pharmaceutics and pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of Utah (Salt Lake City, UT, USA).

AMIC proposes development of a proprietary concept for controlled delivery of yttrium-90 (Y-90) microspheres embedded in resorbable seed-shape materials for tissue-directed, high-dose intra-tumoral therapy. Use of Y-90 will help to minimize the radiation dose to neighboring normal tissues compared to X-rays from standard seeds. This technology is designed to improve the treatment of confined or non-resectable tumors and is based on fast-dissolving polymer-matrix chemistry.

Researchers believe this method may provide a significantly lower-cost alternative to existing metallic seeds as well as having the strong possibility of delivering a greater "biological effective” radiation dose to tumors compared to standard industry seeds. "Yttrium-90 demonstrated outstanding therapeutic properties for cancer treatment, but the challenge has always been controlled delivery of the radioisotope to target tissues and avoiding irradiation of normal tissues,” said AMIC chief science officer Dr. Robert Schenter. "Using the same ultrasound-guided delivery methods and hardware familiar to seed implant surgeons, we hope to provide a better treatment option to the cancer patient. The ready availability of ultra-pure yttrium-90 provides an advantage.”

AMIC likely will seek new medical device approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during 2009.

AMIC is a medical isotope production company engaged in the production and distribution of medical isotopes and medical isotope in-vivo delivery systems for advanced diagnostic and non-surgical therapeutic application.

PNNL is a U.S. Department of Defense (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory that solves complex problems in energy, national security, and the environment, and advances scientific frontiers in the chemical, biologic, materials, environmental, and computational sciences. PNNL has been managed by Battelle since the lab's inception in 1965.


Related Links:
Advanced Medical Isotope
Battelle
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory