Novartis Begins Construction of Two New Radioligand Therapy Facilities in the US

Novartis recently announced the construction of two new radioligand therapy (RLT) manufacturing facilities in the US that will extend its world-class manufacturing and supply chain capabilities. The new facilities represent Novartis’ continued investment in developing a robust infrastructure to support the expanding use of RLTs to treat cancer.

Novartis broke ground on a new facility at its Indianapolis site that will produce radioisotopes critical for the manufacturing of RLTs. In Carlsbad, CA, Novartis is establishing its third RLT manufacturing site in the US to support expanded use of RLTs, create resiliency in its manufacturing network and optimize the delivery of medicines to patients on the West Coast.

RLTs are a form of precision medicine that combine a tumor-targeting molecule (ligand) with a therapeutic radioisotope, enabling the delivery of radiation to the tumor while limiting damage to the surrounding cells. Novartis is actively investigating the application of RLTs across cancer types and settings, with one of the deepest and most advanced pipelines in the industry. Both facilities will be built with room for further expansion to enable the potential production of different isotopes, ligands and RLTs. Once completed and approved, these new facilities will further strengthen the Novartis RLT manufacturing and supply network.

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

Novartis was the first to scale the availability of RLTs in the market across different cancer types with Pluvicto (lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan) and Lutathera (lutetium Lu 177 dotatate). The company’s early and late-stage pipeline has several programs in or entering the clinic, as well as other preclinical and discovery programs to identify the next wave of RLTs. Following regulatory approvals, isotopes produced in Indianapolis will be used to manufacture Pluvicto, Lutathera, and investigational RLTs in Novartis’ pipeline.