Pharmaceutical Business review

Novartis begins construction works at two RLT manufacturing facilities in US

Exterior view of the company’s radioligand therapy manufacturing facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, US. Credit: Novartis AG.

The first facility is breaking ground at the Novartis site in Indianapolis, dedicated to the production of radioisotopes essential for RLT manufacturing.

This expansion is set to bolster the company’s capacity to produce critical components for cancer therapies.

In Carlsbad, California, Novartis announced the establishment of its third RLT site.

This facility will aid in bolstering the use of RLTs, increasing manufacturing resilience, and optimise the delivery of medications to patients, particularly on the West Coast.

Subsequently, the company is exploring the use of RLTs across various types of cancer.

Both the facilities are designed with the potential for future growth, allowing for the production of a range of isotopes, ligands, and RLTs.

Once operational and regulatory approvals are in place, these sites will significantly strengthen Novartis’ RLT manufacturing and supply network.

With regulatory approval, the Indianapolis facility’s isotopes will be utilised to manufacture Pluvicto, Lutathera, and other investigational RLTs within Novartis’ extensive pipeline.

Novartis US president Victor Bultó said: “Novartis pioneered the adoption at scale of radioligand therapies across different indications as a targeted approach to treat cancers.

“Building on this experience and knowledge, we are confident in the potential of RLTs to meaningfully benefit many more patients affected by different types of cancer in the future. We are investing in our supply chain capabilities today to ensure that we are prepared to consistently deliver these complex treatments to the growing number of eligible patients in the long-term.”