April 2023

Full speed ahead!

I’ve heard it’s springtime out there and something about an exciting college basketball tournament. I wouldn’t know. Right now, all I care about is measuring Actinium-225, the extremely rare alpha-emitting radionuclide in ultra-high demand for research and development of next-generation precision cancer treatments.

For those unfamiliar, Actinium-225 is the miracle drug we’ve been wishing for—a radioisotope that emits alpha particles that deliver short-range but high-energy radiation, offering an ideal combination that kills cancer cells without harming nearby healthy cells.

That's huge.

Life-changing.

Death-defeating.

For cancer victims, it's like the difference between the world before penicillin and now.

Once Serva received its shipment of Radium-226 last month from the Department of Energy, we immediately began experimenting in the lab—and with good results.

I am happy to report that we are close to getting a measurement of Actinium-225 that would serve as a significant milestone for Serva and the proof of concept we need to begin production of what many are calling “the rarest (and most valuable) drug on Earth.”

How are we doing this?

By using the same technology we developed for our work on nuclear fuels.

I see Actinium as an exciting development not away from our original energy mission but alongside it, and toward the company’s most near-term profit.

Once we get our measurement, the next 10 months or so will be highly focused on ramping up production of Actinium-225 in order to dramatically increase its availability for patient care and biomedical research.

To save lives.

How valuable is that? Extremely valuable—not just financially, but in serving the world.

It’s nearly impossible for me to sit still these days. I’m either working in my reactor lab at the University of California-Irvine or trotting across the globe to connect with colleagues, companies, experts, and other nuclear innovators, like I did last month in Cape Town, South Africa, for the 12th International Symposium on Targeted Alpha Therapy. While there, I presented on our novel reactor-based production method for, what else, Actinium-225, the promising isotope few can supply and even fewer can create.

Hold on and buckle up! We’re close—I can feel it.

Onward,

Ian

We're not alone—in fact, we're in good company

With demand for medical isotopes growing, so are investments in nuclear infrastructure.

A flurry of new investments supporting expanded production of medical isotopes were announced just last month at two university reactors, including the McMaster Nuclear Reactor at McMaster University and the University of Missouri’s MU Research Reactor, known as NextGen MURR.

These multi-million dollar investments aim to expand production of medical isotopes by threefold in order to supply commercial markets with the critical isotopes that are needed to get hospitals the drugs they need for patient care.

In a news release, University of Missouri President Mun Choi was quoted as saying: “NextGen MURR will produce advanced cancer medicines for the next 75 years and solidify the University of Missouri’s position as the most important resource for medical isotopes in the United States.”

Additionally, TerraPower Isotopes (TPI), a subsidiary of TerraPower, led by Bill Gates, is using nuclear innovation to address the acute need for targeted alpha therapies with a strong focus on Actinium-225.

Image showing advanced stage cancer in remission after just three doses of Actinium-225 antibody therapy. 

From idea spark to initial production:
A look back on 1 year of biomedical innovation

It’s hard to believe that just one year ago Serva was selected for The MedTech Accelerator, a transformative experience in April 2022 that sparked the launch of Serva Medical with lightning speed.

A flagship program of the Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University (ASU) Alliance for Health Care, aimed at increasing the quality, efficiency, and speed to market for next-generation medical technology products, The MedTech Accelerator stood as a major turning point for Serva.

“Our focus on Actinium-225 really emerged from this intensive experience with ASU and the Mayo Clinic," said Dr. Sarah Jones, Vice President of Serva Medical. "After weeks of consultation with researchers and practitioners, we were able to identify an opportunity to leverage the same innovative technologies we were already using to develop Serva's accident tolerant fuels."

Once Serva identified a novel production method for Ac-225, the company developed a business model, built on existing infrastructure and partnerships, by July 2022. That month, Dr. Jones led a presentation with panelists from Mayo Clinic and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, quickly followed by a visit to Oak Ridge to discuss their support efforts of national production of Ac-225.

Everything started to fall into place by Fall 2022 when Serva began engaging with several reactor groups interested in Ac-225 production. Through conferences and meetings, word was spreading about Serva's continuous testing and refining of a new Ac-225 production design underway at UC Irvine's nuclear reactor. Those meetings included a site visit to the National Isotope Development Center at Oak Ridge, who then agreed to release the target material, Radium-226, for Serva to experimentally validate their production method.

With growing interest from a U.S. network of radiopharmaceutical and manufacturing companies eager to produce Ac-225, this spring Serva began their first experimental runs using the Ra-226 to make Ac-225 with its suite of Smart Nuclear Materials.

"In one year’s time, we’ve gone from idea spark to where we are now, being on the cusp of production, which is remarkable," said Dr. Jones, "and was only possible with the support of our investors and the dedication of our inspired team."

Check out some of our stories from the past year to learn more about these milestones.

Big shout out to our investors!

It's an exciting time for Serva and much credit is owed to our investors who helped get us to this point. On behalf of the company, I want to express my full gratitude to all who have supported this journey—and what an adventure it's been. Thank you!

Stay tuned for more developments about Serva's next chapter in the weeks ahead!

Greg Anderson

Chief Operating Officer

Nuclear power gets the Hollywood treatment

Nuclear energy as a solution to fight climate change is the subject of a new, award-winning documentary by filmmaker Oliver Stone to be released in select theaters this month. Nuclear Now takes a critical look at nuclear's historic controversy, debunking myths and profiling the evolution of nuclear technology today.

The film makes the case that nuclear power is, indeed, our safest, most reliable source of carbon-free energy and our best bet at slashing climate emissions.

If the message in Mr. Stone's film connects with large audiences in the same way as Al Gore's documentary film "An Inconvenient Truth," this could help bring about a major turning point in the public's approval of nuclear power.

Watch the trailer.