Medical Isotope Breakthrough Is a B.C. Triumf
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1301 20141007 3 Innovation BUSINESSVANCOUVER NEWS JANUARY 20–26, 2015 3 Medical isotope breakthrough is a B.C. Triumf INNOVATIOn | Researchers at Point Grey facility have pioneered a way to replace Canada’s limited medical isotope supply without a nuclear reactor BY TYLER ORTON for access to the specialized [email protected] equipment. “That’s a good deal for them be- hen Paul Schaffer cause it means they don’t have to and his team were send their teams to Finland to ir- Wgiven the task four radiate some of their electronics, years ago of finding a cost- and it’s a good deal for us because effective way of replacing Can- they’re coming in here and we’ve ada’s limited supply of medical got a customer,” Hanlon said. isotopes, there was a sense they’d But the economic impact isn’t be cutting it close. limited to major companies, he “We always felt our timeline added. [was that we] had to be done yes- Richmond-based Pavac Indus- terday,” said Schaffer, who was tries has been partnered with the hired as head of nuclear medicine facility for a decade, developing at Triumf, Canada’s national lab- electromagnetic chambers for oratory for particle and nuclear accelerators. physics, in 2009. “The project Kootenay-based D-Pace spun we’re working on now wasn’t off from Triumf after founder even on the radar when I started Morgan Dehnel received his [five years ago].” graduate training at the lab. But on January 5, Triumf an- “He distributes ion sources and nounced a breakthrough. accelerator equipment worldwide The facility, located near the from Nelson, B.C., based on tech- University of BC (UBC) Point nology from Triumf,” Hanlon Grey campus, had demonstrat- said. “And he employs people in ed the ability to produce enough a ski town. Like, go figure.” medical isotopes to meet the Hanlon stressed that the future daily demand for B.C.’s popula- of commercial applications for tion (about 500 scans) using an Triumf would be in the realm of SUV-sized particle accelerator isotopes, adding that the lab has known as a cyclotron, typically received “expressions of interest” Paul Schaffer, Triumf’s head of nuclear medicine, at the controls in the laboratory near the University of found in most major hospitals. from the U.S., Asia and Europe British Columbia campus | RICHARD LAM Medical isotopes are used when about the cyclotron method it diagnosing cancer and cardiac developed. conditions. the end of 2016, when the Chalk while also developing commer- But Schaffer admitted there are But Canada’s supply depends on The idea we’re trying River reactor is scheduled to stop cial applications for the technol- still challenges associated with a nuclear reactor in Chalk River, to defeat is that a supplying isotopes. ogy coming out of its facility. the breakthrough. He said that Ontario, which produces a large “We have a lower production Jim Hanlon, Triumf’s head of the first question often asked by quantity of a parent isotope that subsidized product [from capacity, but the technology is business and administration, health-care authorities is how decays over time to form the a reactor] is going to be meant to be decentralized so you said the government-funded lab’s much the cyclotron method will medical isotope. don’t have a central-point-of- commercial application branch cost. The cost of keeping the reactor indefinitely available failure problem.” is divided into four platforms: “We’re not able to give them running is high, and the aging An April 2014 report from isotopes, accelerator science, ad- 100% certainty of an answer,” Chalk River reactor was shut [] the Organization for Economic vanced engineering and material he said. down for more than a year be- PAUL SCHAFFer Co-operation and Development sciences. An assessment from the Saud- tween 2009 and 2010, halting the HEAD OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE, forecasts demand for medical About 30 organizations, in- er School of Business at UBC supply of medical isotopes. TRIUMF isotopes will grow by between cluding NASA and Microsoft showed the accelerator method That’s when Ottawa gave 0.5% and 5% annually from 2015 (Nasdaq:MSFT), pay Triumf would be slightly cheaper or Triumf and its partners a $1.3 to 2020. regularly to use its equipment slightly more expensive than re- million grant to look at alterna- “The accelerators, in principal, But taxpayers’ return on invest- and reproduce the effects of actor-based isotopes, depending tives to reactors. Schaffer’s are completely different. They ment from Triumf isn’t limited to solar radiation on electrical sys- on what brand of cyclotron the team focused on developing a don’t use uranium, they use elec- medical isotopes. tems that end up in satellites or hospital possesses. method allowing hospitals al- tricity and magnets to accelerate Home to the world’s largest airplanes. “The idea we’re trying to defeat ready in possession of their own particles,” Schaffer said, adding cyclotron, the national lab has Cisco Systems (Nasdaq:CSCO) is that a subsidized product [from cyclotrons to produce medical he hopes the cyclotron method been able to engage in partner- even paid for upgrades to one of a reactor] is going to be indefin- isotopes. will be in place at hospitals by ships with the private sector Triumf’s facilities in exchange itely available,” Schaffer said. • OPEN RECRUITMENT Executive Leadership and Senior Account Management The Business Council of British Columbia is recruiting an Executive Director and Senior Account Managers to work on a project to attract international firms to invest and locate their North American headquarters in British Columbia. Successful applicants will have experience in international business development and a solid understanding of the BC and North American economy, including commercial relations with Asian countries and drivers of growth in trans-pacific trade and investment. Excellent analytical, networking and communication skills are required. Experience working in Asia or with Asian businesses, as well as Asian language ability, will be an asset. Please submit your c.v. and/or inquiries to: [email protected] BCBC is the project proponent, providing oversight and accountability for the project in collaboration with the project partners. This position does not involve employment related to the ongoing core functions of the Business Council..