Russia Approves New Domestic Radiopharmaceutical for Cancer Treatment

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A new domestic radiopharmaceutical drug, “Rakurs, 223Ra,” has been approved for medical use in Russia for the treatment of oncological diseases.

The drug has completed state registration, and the first batch has already been delivered to medical institutions across the country, paving the way for its widespread clinical use.

The innovative therapy is based on the radionuclide radium-223, produced by the Department of Radionuclide Sources and Preparations at the Scientific Division of the state corporation Rosatom in Dimitrovgrad. All isotope production technologies were developed by nuclear industry specialists and are fully patented.

The creation of “Rakurs” was carried out at the Federal Scientific and Clinical Center for Medical Radiology and Oncology (FSCCMRO) of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency of Russia.

The drug is intended to treat various cancers, primarily in cases with bone metastases, including patients with prostate cancer. It has a dual therapeutic effect: it selectively accumulates in bone tissue, including metastatic sites, delivering highly localized antitumor action, while also reducing pain, allowing patients to reduce or forgo the use of analgesics and significantly improving quality of life.

According to Petr Sychyov, head of the Nuclear Medicine Center at FSCCMRO, the treatment offers patients who have undergone all lines of chemotherapy the opportunity to achieve stable remission, alleviate pain, and enhance overall quality of life.

Clinical observations of patients receiving “Rakurs, 223Ra” have shown consistent improvement in well-being. In 2023, prostate cancer became the leading cancer diagnosis among men in Russia, with approximately 48,000 new cases detected annually.

Rosatom emphasizes the project’s importance for the development of nuclear medicine. As previously noted by Alexander Tuzov, First Deputy General Director of JSC “Rosatom Science,” collaboration with FSCCMRO was a crucial step in creating a promising drug with broad application potential, and cooperation in this area will continue.

The introduction of “Rakurs, 223Ra” marks another milestone in the advancement of domestic radiopharmaceuticals and expands patient access to modern, effective treatments for oncological diseases.