TORONTO, ON – December 17, 2024 – The Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council (CNIC) has, since its establishment in 2018, aimed to foster innovation within Canada’s isotope sector. This innovation has led Canada’s isotope industry to significant growth in recent years, and a promising outlook for the years to come. Today, the CNIC is pleased to expand its innovative membership by welcoming Astral Systems as the Council’s newest member organization.
Astral Systems is a cutting-edge nuclear fusion development company which has invented and demonstrated a first of its kind multi-state fusion device, with promising results for both medical and industrial applications. Their technology, which utilizes a NASA-validated lattice confinement fusion (LCF) process, allows their high-performance compact fusion reactors to operate as high flux, long life neutron sources that are ideal for medical isotope production.
On the production of medical isotopes, Astral Systems aims to deploy their technology around the world in order to decentralize the production of neutron-based isotopes. Using their fusion-based technology, they hope to decrease costs while also reducing treatment wait-times and improving the quality of care received.
By late-2025, they are looking to begin small batch production of Tb-161, Cu-64/67; ramping up production of those isotopes in 2026 and introducing Ac-225 and Pb-212 in that same year. Their technology is also well suited to explore the production of other shorter lives isotopes that have not traditionally been made available in the market such as Au-199, Pd-109, Br-77, amongst many others.
“I’m excited to welcome Astral Systems to the CNIC and learn more about their work. Our Isotopes for Hope campaign has an ambitious goal to double the production of isotopes in Canada by 2030, and the innovation led by Astral Systems and the CNIC’s other members will continue to play an important role in making that goal a reality,” said James Scongack, Chair of the CNIC. “Our team looks forward to working with Astral Systems to support their engagement with the Canadian isotope ecosystem.”
“We have already begun working together with McMaster University who are helping us bring our vision to reality. The Canadian market is a logical early step out of the UK as we begin to expand internationally. We are open to further collaboration with researchers and drug developers in this field and look forward to meeting all of the other CNIC members in the new year.” Talmon Firestone is a co-founder and the CEO of Astral Systems. He is Toronto-based with the bulk of the Astral Team working at their labs in Bristol, UK.
Learn more about Astral Systems here: https://www.astralsystems.com/
About the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council
The Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council (CNIC) is an independent, not-for-profit advocacy and member services organization. The CNIC supports over 100 members from across science, academia, healthcare, and nuclear-sector organizations dedicated to maintaining Canada’s position as a global leader in the production of life-saving isotopes. The CNIC raises awareness and advocates for long-term policies that support health-care innovation and will save countless lives for decades to come.
For more information, please contact:
Melody Greaves
Executive Director & Vice President, Government Relations
Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council
melody.greaves@canadianisotopes.ca