Orano Med, a biotechnology company based in the US, built a new Alpha Therapy Laboratory (ATLab) in Onnaing, France.
The facility is the first industrial-scale pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Europe dedicated to producing the lead-212 radioligand therapies known as targeted alpha therapies (TAT). It focuses on manufacturing lead-212 therapies developed by Orano Med and distributing them across Europe.
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The ATLab Valenciennes was developed with a $31m (€29m) investment. The project is aligned with France’s biotherapy-bioproduction acceleration strategy, focusing on the development and production of new biotherapies, especially in the field of oncology.
Construction of the ATLab commenced in February 2024 with a groundbreaking ceremony. The facility was inaugurated in October 2026.
Over the medium term, the ATLab in Onnaing is projected to yield 10,000 doses per year, with the potential to increase output fivefold when operating at full capacity.Top of Form
Location
The new ATLab is situated in Valenciennes, Onnaing, France.
The facility benefits from the industrial network of the Valenciennes metropolitan area and the Hauts-de-France region. Its proximity to Brussels and Roissy-Charles De Gaulle (Paris) international airports is one of the key factors in the selection of the location.
Orano Med’s ATLab Valenciennes details
The ATLab Valenciennes covers a total area of more than 3,000m² (32,292ft²) and produces new targeted lead-212 alpha therapies for cancer patients on a large scale.
A modular design is used for production lines, enabling the addition of more lines in the future. The flexibility allows for the manufacture and distribution of multiple drugs simultaneously, potentially increasing efficiency and scalability in pharmaceutical production.
The facility will initially produce 5,000 patient doses a year, with plans to expand the output tenfold by the end of the decade.
Funding
The project was supported by the Hauts de France region and the Valenciennes metropolitan area. It is also a recipient of the Industrialisation and Health Capacities 2030 call for projects, within the France 2030 plan, making it eligible for public aid of €3.8m.
Details on lead 212-based radioligand therapies
Lead-212, an alpha-emitting radioisotope from the thorium-232 decay chain, is exceptionally rare and potent as a therapeutic payload against cancer cells. Orano Med leverages its expertise in advanced nuclear technologies to extract and purify lead-212, using it in several promising targeted cancer treatments known as TAT.
TAT utilises lead-212 in conjugation with diverse biological molecules such as peptides and antibodies, to effectively target and destroy cancer cells. The approach allows TAT to selectively identify and eliminate cancer cells, minimising harm to adjacent healthy cells.
Orano Med is currently evaluating its lead-212 targeted alpha therapy across four clinical studies in the US, covering multiple biological targets and diverse cancer indications.
Orano Med’s lead-212 manufacturing process
Orano Med has pioneered a process for large-scale, cost-effective production of high-purity 212Pb (lead-212) using thorium-232. With 22,000 drums of purified thorium-232, the company is well-equipped to meet the global demand for TAT.
The patented chemical process involves multiple extraction and purification stages to isolate lead-212 from thorium-232 descendants, including radium-228, thorium-228 and radium-224. Orano Med’s production and drug chain is fully integrated and independent of external radionuclide suppliers.
Given lead-212’s short half-life of 10.6 hours, the therapies require production close to hospitals, necessitating the construction of ATLabs to meet global patient needs.
Contractors involved
Bouygues Energies & Services, an engineering, installation and maintenance services provider based in France, was responsible for the construction works of the project.
The scope of work included all the technical operations covering heating, ventilation and air conditioning, electricity, special fluids and cleanroom partitions, as well as laboratory equipment and pneumatic transport.
Marketing commentary on Orano Med
Orano Med, a subsidiary of the Orano Group, is a clinical-stage biotechnology company specialising in developing targeted cancer therapies using lead-212. It employs 230 people across France and the US and has 18 patented innovations.
The company has three preclinical laboratories for alpha treatment development and one global industrial platform for lead-212 manufacturing. It also supplies lead-212 for clinical trials as per GMP standards.
Orano Med’s first ATLab, located in Brownsburg, Indiana, US, commenced production in June 2024.
