Samarium-153-DOTMP

Australian radiopharma company Telix Pharmaceuticals is acquiring radioisotope manufacturer RLS Radiopharmacies in another move to expand its presence in the US. Telix is budgeting $230 million up front for the purchase and potentially another $20 million in milestone payments. In exchange, Telix will take on RLS’ 31 radiopharmacies, designed to make and distribute clinical and commercial radiotherapies, located across 18 US states. Telix will also acquire RLS’ 100,000 square feet of space for future expansions, according to a Monday release. The acquisition is set to close in the first quarter of 2025, after which RLS will still operate and serve its existing customers as a standalone business. Wall Street analysts believe this is a move for Telix to solidify its identity as a radiopharma manufacturer and expect the company to further boost its capacity for isotope production. By combining Telix’s manufacturing platform and RLS’ radiopharmacy network, Telix is aiming to scale up production of isotopes and radiotherapies, as well as improve the supply of diagnostic devices such as PET scans, Telix’s CEO Christian Behrenbruch said in a statement. Telix plans on integrating a technology platform for rare metal and isotope production across each of the 31 radiopharmacies. Telix just bought such technology when it acquired the Canadian company ARTMS in March. RLS has a range of radiopharma-related services. It recently expanded into gallium-68 production for PET scans via a partnership with Eckert & Ziegler announced in April. RLS also has CDMO services, recently expanding its in-house manufacturing at eight of its 31 sites in October last year. When Telix’s purchase is closed, RLS will operate independently under Telix Manufacturing Solutions, an umbrella brand that includes other manufacturers like IsoTherapeutics. Telix acquired radiochemistry and bioconjugation manufacturer IsoTherapeutics in April this year. As a part of Telix’s recent spending spree, in May it also snapped up the cancer radiopharma company QSAM Biosciences and its clinical pipeline. QSAM’s lead radiopharma asset is called samarium-153-DOTMP for pain management in patients with bone metastases and osteosarcoma. The radiopharma space is heating up with many players making moves to increase their pipelines and manufacturing capacity. Earlier this month, Sanofi spent $110 million in licensing deals with RadioMedix and Orano Med. Novartis allocated $1 billion to buy Mariana Oncology, according to a May announcement. Other pharma companies like AstraZeneca , Bristol Myers Squibb and Eli Lilly have also expanded their respective stakes in radiotherapies.