Section 32, the new venture fund launched by Bill Maris, was named in homage to Section 31, an intelligence agency from the Star Trek universe.  Maris, the GV (Google Ventures) founder/former-CEO, has raised $150 million for the project that will focus on various investments.  The fund will be run directly by Maris and primarily based out of San Diego.

Section 32 Nusano

No patient should be denied the cancer care they need simply because some options are in short supply or unavailable. Yet, all too often, this is what happens. Nusano is a physics company that creates radioisotopes—tiny tracers used by doctors to diagnose and treat cancer and other diseases. Doctors use these tiny tracers like flashlights to light up areas inside the body. They can see how blood is flowing, how organs are functioning, even how cells are growing. Advanced medicines and treatment methods also use radioisotopes to target and eliminate cancer cells with precision. Health care has used radioisotopes for decades. But, if supply does not keep up with demand, patients will lose out on the benefits of these lifesaving, proven tools.  Nusano’s patented technologies and methods are poised to transform radioisotope production and usher in an exciting new era in cancer care. Our state-of-the-art facility in West Valley City, Utah will produce radioisotopes quickly, efficiently, and affordably. This will make desperately needed resources available to hospitals and cancer clinics around the world and offer those with life-threatening diseases hope for a healthier tomorrow.

Nusano is a privately held physics company dedicated to transforming the production of medical radioisotopes, which are essential ingredients in cancer diagnostics and therapies. The company's proprietary ion source technology is smaller and more efficient than existing production methods, enabling significantly higher yields and the simultaneous manufacturing of multiple radioisotopes.

Nusano and PharmaLogic Announce Collaboration to Enable Next Generation Radiotherapeutics Development

Technology

Opens Radiochemistry Laboratory to Advance Isotope Commercialization

Nusano Opens Radiochemistry Laboratory to Advance Isotope Commercialization and Customer Collaboration

Nusano Opens Radiochemistry Laboratory to Advance Isotope Commercialization and Customer CollaborationLu-177 shipments expected to begin early 2025, followed by Ac-225

Nusano announces Q1 2025 opening date for medical radioisotope production facility in Utah

Radioactive materials open up new pathways in patient treatment and medication

Radiopharmaceuticals

Nusano Names D. Scott Holbrook as Chairman of its Board

Nusano is a privately held physics company dedicated to transforming the production of medical radioisotopes, which are essential ingredients in cancer diagnostics and therapies. The company's proprietary ion source technology is smaller and more efficient than existing production methods, enabling significantly higher yields and the simultaneous manufacturing of multiple radioisotopes.
Nusano's breakthrough platform addresses long-standing challenges in the radioisotope market, including technical limitations, supply outages, and waste stream concerns. By stabilizing supply chains and making a wide variety of isotopes available, Nusano aims to support the development of next-generation radiopharmaceuticals and enable advanced cancer treatments.
The company's state-of-the-art production facility, a 190,000 square-foot facility in West Valley City, Utah, is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2025. This facility will have the capability to produce critical radioisotopes such as non-carrier added lutetium-177 and actinium-225, with the latter expected to be available in the second half of 2025. Nusano's technologies will supply the fight against cancer and support diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceutical development.
In March 2024, Nusano opened the Radiance Lab, a 5,000 square-foot radiochemistry laboratory, to develop and implement radioisotope separation and purification processes in preparation for commercial-scale production. This lab will serve as a collaboration and research space, enabling Nusano to offer world-class quality, processes, and scale to its customers.

Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Eli Lilly, developed the first radioactive diagnostic agent approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for imaging tau neurofibrillary tangles on positron emission tomography (PET) scans. The F-18 flortaucipir tracer, marketed under the name Tauvid, helps clinicians estimate the density and distribution of tau tangles in the brains of adults with cognitive impairment being evaluated for Alzheimer's disease.
Tauvid works by binding to tau proteins that form neurofibrillary tangles, which are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease along with amyloid plaques. Previously, doctors could only diagnose Alzheimer's neuropathologically by identifying both plaques and tangles in the brain after death. With Tauvid, physicians can now visualize and assess tau pathology in living patients through PET imaging.
The FDA's approval of Tauvid in May 2020 was supported by two clinical studies evaluating the agent's safety and effectiveness. These studies demonstrated that readers interpreting Tauvid PET scans had a high probability of accurately detecting tau pathology and an average-to-high probability of correctly identifying patients without tau pathology.

Avid Radiopharmaceuticals

Trevarx is a biomedical company focused on developing radiopharmaceutical technologies to combat breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer. The company specializes in small molecule radiopharmaceuticals, offering a unique theranostic solution. Trevarx's approach combines therapeutic and diagnostic capabilities, potentially enhancing cancer treatment efficacy. The company leverages its expertise in scientific research and multi-center trials to advance its radiopharmaceutical technologies. Trevarx's business model includes providing support for multi-center trials, regulatory assistance, and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) manufacturing. These services aim to accelerate the commercialization process of their radiopharmaceutical technologies. The company's team comprises experts with extensive experience in the field, positioning Trevarx to efficiently develop and bring its solutions to market.

Trevarx Biomedical

Alpha Source is a company that manufactures and supplies alpha radiation sources, primarily composite alpha sources containing Pu-239, Am-241, and Cm-244 radionuclides electroplated onto platinum or platinum-clad nickel foils. These sources are designed for alpha spectroscopy systems, providing alpha particles in the energy range of approximately 5100 to 5800 keV with line widths typically less than 20 keV FWHM. This wide energy range allows for valid energy calibration of most alpha-emitting nuclides. Alpha Source offers its composite alpha sources in three configurations: A-1, A-2, and PM. The sources are uncovered and have an active area of 5.0 mm. When purchased as NIST traceable standards, the sources can also be used to determine detector efficiencies for alpha particles, with total and individual activities provided on the Certificate of Calibration.
In addition to its core alpha source product line, Alpha Source also provides nationwide service for extending the life of ultrasound imaging equipment through preventative maintenance and quality replacement parts. The company offers high-quality replacement parts for biomedical equipment, along with value-added services to streamline supply chain operations.
Alpha Source has over 30 years of expertise in manufacturing and sourcing high-quality medical replacement battery packs, offering solutions that optimize battery life and costs for healthcare facilities.

Alpha Source

Ionetix is a cyclotron technology and isotope manufacturing company based in the US. It developed the world's first commercial compact superconducting cyclotron, the ION-12SC, which is used to produce N-13 Ammonia, a highly accurate Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging agent for detecting Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). The company's proprietary cyclotron technology platform enables access to scarce radioisotopes used for diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals.
Ionetix's cyclotrons can produce high-purity alpha-emitting radionuclides like Actinium-225 (Ac-225) and Astatine-211 (At-211), which are utilized in targeted alpha therapies for cancer treatment. In April 2023, the company successfully produced Astatine-211 at its new Alpha Isotope Manufacturing facility in Lansing, Michigan, using a 30 MeV cyclotron. This facility is dedicated exclusively to producing alpha-emitting radionuclides via cyclotrons. In June 2024, Ionetix announced the successful production of Actinium-225, marking a pivotal milestone as the first commercial cyclotron-produced Ac-225.
Ionetix's business model involves establishing a network of ION-12SC cyclotrons installed on or near the campuses of PET programs across the US. The company covers the costs related to installation and operation, making N-13 Ammonia available to providers through a pay-by-the-dose model, ensuring accessibility and affordability. Ionetix also provides N-13, F-18, and Ga-68 for diagnostic imaging. Its distribution supply chain includes contract drug manufacturing and "white glove" distribution logistics, enabling global access to these imaging agents and targeted radiotherapies.

Ionetix

Therapeia GmbH & Co. KG is a German specialist company focused on developing diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals to address unmet patient needs. Their lead product candidate, ACD-101, is a family of products for the diagnosis and treatment of malignant glioma (brain cancer). ACD-101 combines several anti-cancer effects within a single molecule, including cytostatic properties, an intrinsic radio-sensitizer effect that enhances the efficacy of external radiation therapy (the current standard treatment), and the ability to be radiolabeled with 131I for intracellular 131I-irradiation ("endo-radiotherapy"), similar to radioiodine therapy used for thyroid cancer.
ACD-101 is actively transported across the intact blood-brain barrier and accumulates in tumor tissue, where it is retained for up to a week. This intratumor accumulation occurs independently of histological tumor type in both low and high-grade gliomas (WHO grades II-IV), allowing for universal therapeutic use regardless of glioma histology. In a rat model, experimental human gliomas were curatively treated for the first time using 131I-ACD-101. This endo-radiotherapy can be combined with conventional external radiotherapy to maximize synergies of different anti-tumor modes of action.

Therapeia GmbH & Co. KG

Companies that use radioactive isotopes to develop medication for the treatment of diseases in patients.

Companies that use radioisotopes to develop solutions for the diagnosis of patients. Solutions are typically synthesized for internal use on patients and are employed in tandem with a diagnostic imaging device to identify disease or causes of diseases.

Companies that produce and supply radioisotopes to pharmaceutical companies creating radiopharmaceuticals.

Companies providing support services to radiopharmaceutical-related companies. These include testing services, research, and training.

Some drug developers use connected medical devices for monitoring treatment administration and drug development

Nusano

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