Ratio Therapeutics to Build Radiopharmaceutical Facility in Utah, Advancing the Growing Field of Nuclear Medicine

Ratio Therapeutics, a company specializing in radiopharmaceuticals, has announced plans to construct a new research and manufacturing facility in Salt Lake City, Utah. The move signals a significant expansion in the rapidly evolving field of nuclear medicine and highlights the increasing importance of radiopharmaceuticals in cancer treatment and diagnostics.

Strategic Partnership and Facility Details

The new facility, slated to begin operations in the second half of 2027, is the result of a partnership between Ratio Therapeutics and the Medical Innovation Technology Management division of Wasatch Group. The collaboration involves joint efforts in the construction of the plant, which will be part of Wasatch's Medical Innovation Technology Campus.

Key features of the new facility include:

• 65,000 square feet of manufacturing space
• Scalability to support potential future commercial manufacturing
• Proximity to The University of Utah and other healthcare institutions
• Strategic location near an international airport to facilitate supply chain management

Dr. Jack Hoppin, Chairman and CEO of Ratio Therapeutics, emphasized the strategic importance of the facility's location: "This facility not only places us near potential suppliers, such as Nusano, but also provides the infrastructure needed to meet future manufacturing demands at commercial scale."

Advancing Radiopharmaceutical Development

The establishment of this new facility comes at a time of growing interest in radiopharmaceuticals within the pharmaceutical industry. Despite persistent logistical challenges, including supply constraints of medical radioisotopes, the field has attracted significant attention from major pharmaceutical companies.

Ratio Therapeutics has been actively expanding its presence in this sector:

1. In November, the company entered into a collaboration with Novartis, valued at up to $745 million, to research and select a cancer candidate targeting SSTR2-expressing tumors.

2. In March 2024, Ratio expanded its partnership with radiopharmaceutical CDMO PharmaLogic to advance a fibroblast activation protein-alpha (FAP)-targeted radiotherapy for soft tissue sarcoma.

These developments underscore the growing importance of radiopharmaceuticals in both cancer treatment and diagnostics, with applications ranging from neuroendocrine tumors to small cell lung carcinoma and various other cancer types.

Industry Trends and Future Outlook

The radiopharmaceutical sector is witnessing increased activity beyond Ratio Therapeutics. Notable industry movements include:

• PharmaLogic's acquisition of a majority stake in Norway's Agilera Pharma, positioning itself as a global contract manufacturer dedicated to radiopharmaceuticals.
• Novartis's continued investment in the field, with two approved radiotherapies already on the market: Lutathera and Pluvicto.

As the industry continues to evolve, the new Ratio Therapeutics facility in Utah is poised to play a crucial role in advancing the development and production of next-generation radiopharmaceuticals, potentially accelerating the transition of innovative treatments from the laboratory to the clinic.