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The Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has entered into a unique agreement with NENTM Life Science Products Inc., of Boston, Massachusetts, to bring yttrium-90, a promising new medical isotope, to market.

Yttrium-90 is being investigated to treat a number of cancers, including lung, breast, ovarian, colon, prostate, brain and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Based on clinical trial schedules, the isotope is currently about three or four years away from full FDA approval for cancer treatment.

Under the terms of the agreement, NEN will lease 40 curies of strontium-90, a byproduct of Hanford nuclear weapons production, from the Energy Department over a five-year period, and extract an ultra-pure form of yttrium-90 from the strontium through a process patented at PNNL. NEN will hold a five-year exclusive license for the extraction technology and assume all production, shipment and business responsibilities from the laboratory.

"The department is very excited about the potential of yttrium-90 to treat some of the most devastating forms of cancer," said Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson. "The market growth for this isotope over the past few years has been remarkable, and we believe the time has come to turn its production, marketing and delivery over to the private sector. This is a perfect example of the Department of Energy doing what it does best, and then turning to industry for what it does best, to maximize returns for the American taxpayers and benefits for the public."

The Department of Energy's national laboratories have been producing and distributing isotopes and isotope services for more than 50 years -- however, in recent years the Clinton administration has aggressively pursued opportunities for moving production and distribution services to the private sector.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory began developing and eventually producing yttrium-90 in 1990 in support of the Department of Energy's long-standing mission to create a reliable supply of isotope products, services, and related technologies for use in medicine, industry and research. The laboratory is one of four producers of the isotope worldwide, and supplies approximately 75 percent of the yttrium-90 in the North American market.

Yttrium-90 is currently provided to approximately 40 medical centers and research universities, and is being used in a number of clinical trials across the United States, Europe and Australia. The treatment consists of attaching the isotope to a specially engineered antibody that seeks out cancer cells within the body. Once attached, beta particles emitted from the isotope destroy the cancerous cells while sparing normal surrounding tissue.

"Clinical trial results to date have been very promising," said Tom Tenforde, Manager of the Radioisotopes Program at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. "At M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas, a positive response was seen in 80 percent of the approximately 130 lymphoma patients who had failed all conventional therapies. And, the therapy can be administered on an outpatient basis and doesn't cause severe side effects, such as hair loss and nausea, associated with conventional therapies." The award of this contract is the result of a competitive bid and selection process that occurred over the last year, with NENTM Life Science Products Inc., selected on the basis of the strength of its facilities, financial security and isotope production experience.

"As a life science company with a great history of providing support for innovative medical research, we're delighted to be selected as the supplier of this potentially very beneficial product," said Michael G. Johnson, Senior Vice President of Operations for NEN. "We intend to use our expertise to build on the accomplishments of the Department of Energy program and maximize the benefits of this technology."