On April 22, 2024, CNNC Qualcomm, the unit of CNNC China Tongfu, announced: The first domestic production line with an annual output of 10,000 Curie carrier-free lutetium-177, and an annual output of 1,000 germanium gallium [68Ge-68Ga] generator production line have been fully put into operation, marking that China officially has the production and supply capacity of 10,000 Curie lutetium-177, gallium-68 and other two medical nuclides, and truly realize the large-scale commercialization of domestic supply. Effectively alleviate the problem of insufficient supply of the two types of nuclides in China and dependence on imports.

       It is reported that the two products of China Qualcomm Lutetium-177 and Gallium-68 meet the requirements of EMA (European Medicines Agency) standards in terms of production line design, production technology, quality indicators, equipment and facilities, and management system, and are in the first echelon level in the world, with obvious international competitive advantages. In the future, Sino-Nuclear Qualcomm will enter the international market and participate in the great cycle of the international medical nuclide industrial chain.

       In addition, Qualcomm can also officially supply Curie-level terbium-161, scandium-47 two emerging nuclides. Terbium-161, scandium-47 and lutetium-177 have similar decay, biochemical and in vivo characteristics, but also have unique advantages, which will bring new opportunities and possibilities for the development of nuclear medicine.

       Lutetium-177: Has excellent radio-physical properties and coordination chemical properties, can label monoclonal antibodies, peptides and other small molecule compounds, used in a variety of diseases radionuclide targeted therapy. Its labeled drugs have shown significant clinical advantages in the treatment of prostate cancer and neuropathic tumors.

       Gallium-68: Highly attractive positron-emitting radionuclides that can be used to prepare radiopharmaceuticals by coordination labeling. Compared with the traditional non-metallic nuclide labeled polypeptides such as fluorine-18 and carbon-11, it has the advantages of convenience, simplicity, mild conditions, rapid speed and low cost. In recent years, PET imaging of labeled somatostatin analogues has now become the gold standard for clinical diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumors.

        Terbium-161: Each decay can release more and higher energy auger electrons and internal conversion electrons than lutetium-177, and therefore, has better tumor-normal tissue mean absorbed dose ratio (TNDs) characteristics, better absorbed dose distribution, shorter range of cytotoxicity, and minimal damage to healthy tissue. Another advantage of terbium-161 is the presence of isotopes that can be used for SPECT and PET imaging, including Terbium-152, which holds promise for integrated cancer diagnosis and treatment.

       Scandium-47: very suitable for the targeted therapy of small tumors and cancer metastases, its SPECT imaging quality is higher, and it has better stability when combined with common chelating agents such as DOTA, and the clinical effect is better. The isotopes scandium-43 and scandium-44 of scandium-47 can be used in PET imaging, making scandium-47 more advantageous than gallium-68 / lutetium-177 in cancer diagnosis and treatment integration.