Japan Atomic Energy Agency Aims to Produce Medical Radioisotope with Joyo Reactor
The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has submitted a request to the Nuclear Regulation Authority to expand the goals of the Joyo experimental fast reactor in Oarai, Ibaraki Prefecture, to include the production of medical radioisotopes.
JAEA has high hopes for actinium-225, a radioactive substance that could potentially serve as a cancer treatment drug. The agency envisions a therapy where a drug containing actinium-225 is injected into a patient's body to target and eliminate cancer cells.
The use of a fast reactor for actinium-225 production is relatively uncommon worldwide. JAEA aims to begin manufacturing the radioisotope by the end of fiscal year 2026.
In February 2023, JAEA and the National Cancer Center Japan signed a collaboration agreement to research and develop cancer therapy using actinium-225. While therapeutic trials of the radiation therapy are ongoing in various countries, the limited global supply of actinium-225 restricts treatment to approximately 3,000 patients annually.
The Joyo reactor, a compact experimental facility designed for developing plutonium-fueled fast reactors, began operation in 1977 but has been offline since 2007 due to equipment failures. JAEA hopes to reactivate the reactor around the middle of fiscal year 2026 and is currently completing the necessary formalities to obtain prior approval from authorities in Ibaraki Prefecture and the town of Oarai.