Orano Med, a subsidiary of the Orano Group, has begun construction on the Advanced Thorium Extraction Facility (ATEF) in Bessines-sur-Gartempe, France, the first industrial site designed to produce thorium-228, a precursor for lead-212-based radioligand therapies targeting cancer cells.

Expected to be operational by 2027, the 7,000-square-meter facility represents a $265 million (€250 million) investment. It is projected to increase thorium-228 production capacity tenfold, supporting both clinical trials and future commercial treatments. The site will create approximately 70 direct jobs and 100 indirect roles.

Thorium-228 is essential for manufacturing lead-212, a key component of targeted alpha therapy, an innovative treatment using biological molecules to deliver cancer-fighting alpha emissions to tumor cells. Production at scale has long been a challenge, but the ATEF facility aims to resolve this issue through advanced purification techniques developed over a decade by the Laboratoire Maurice Tubiana.

Once complete, the facility will supply Orano Med’s Alpha Therapy Laboratories, which manufacture lead-212-based drugs for global distribution. It is expected to enable production of 100,000 doses annually within the next decade.

“The ATEF facility marks a significant milestone for Orano Med,” said Arnaud Lesegretain, the company’s CEO. “With the near completion of Phase II trials for our lead-212-based drug, AlphaMedix, we are building a platform to ensure large-scale production and access to these therapies.”

The project is supported by €22 million from France’s 2030 investment plan, which aims to strengthen the country’s industrial and healthcare sectors through innovation. Nicolas Maes, CEO of Orano Group, highlighted the facility’s broader impact, noting its role in revitalizing the region’s economy and advancing the company’s mission to maximize the value of nuclear materials.

Orano Med’s efforts align with France’s national biotherapies strategy, which seeks to accelerate the availability of cutting-edge cancer treatments by the decade’s end.

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