RLS Radiopharmacies, the exclusive radiopharmacy network accredited by the Joint Commission in the U.S., has revealed its expansion into radiopharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing (rCDMO) services. This new offering is designed to address the increasing demand from both customers and the industry for regional manufacturing capabilities, customized drug development, radioisotope production, and same-day delivery services. This strategic move aims to mitigate risks associated with the growing radiopharmaceutical pipeline, ensuring that healthcare professionals and their patients have secure and dependable access to these life-saving medications.
To accommodate this expansion, RLS has allocated 80,000 square feet of space across eight of its 31 radiopharmacies. Implementing a distributed manufacturing model, RLS is poised to become the first in the industry to offer rCDMO services throughout all regions of the United States. By Q1 2024, RLS's eight locations will be fully CGMP-ready, equipped with expert personnel and cutting-edge equipment for the development, production, and manufacturing of radiopharmaceuticals.
Outsourcing to RLS empowers pharmaceutical companies to operate with greater efficiency and efficacy. Most companies lack the specialized infrastructure, equipment, skilled personnel, and regulatory approvals needed to independently produce radiolabeled medicines. Establishing these resources from scratch is not only time-intensive but also financially impractical. RLS provides a solution by offering innovative, ready-to-use solutions that are not only safe, but also dependable and efficient, thereby reducing costs, time-to-market, and risks.
For radiopharmaceutical production, ensuring safety and efficiency in the supply chain is of utmost importance, especially given the time-sensitive nature of radioactive materials. These substances are highly sensitive and undergo decay within a short timeframe, leaving only a few days between manufacturing and administration. This time constraint can be worrisome for patients urgently in need of life-saving radiopharmaceuticals, as current supply chain limitations can lead to waits of over a month for doses to be produced and delivered to the hospital. RLS's purpose-built production and distribution network is designed to address this issue, guaranteeing a seamless last-mile delivery of patient-specific doses on a time-sensitive basis.
Furthermore, RLS is actively establishing partnerships to alleviate the shortage of critical medical isotopes such as Actinium-225 (Ac-225) and Lutetium-177 (Lu 177). These isotopes are presently in high demand but in short supply.
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