Global leader in life-saving medical isotopes welcomed into Canadian Nuclear Alliance

An independent, not-for-profit advocacy group dedicated to maintaining Canada’s position as a global leader in the production of medical isotopes has welcomed a Durham Region-based partner into the mix, one that is responsible for half the world’s production of the life-saving isotopes.

Two years after Ontario Power Generation, the Municipality of Clarington and their partners launched the Central and Eastern Ontario Isotope Alliance, the regional collaboration has been welcomed into the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

“No single organization builds an isotope ecosystem on its own. It takes researchers, healthcare providers, producers, public partners, and communities working collaboratively to turn scientific capability into real-world impact,” the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council (CNIC) said in taking in its newest industry partner. “Meaningful progress happens when the full isotope ecosystem is connected.”

Medical isotopes are made at all three nuclear generators in Ontario and at McMaster University, with Darlington nuclear plant the single largest isotope production system in North America.

Isotopes are used to treat head, neck and cervical cancers and other types of cancer and to sterilize medical equipment.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission approved a production expansion of life-saving medical isotopes at Darlington recently, with cancer patients around the world benefitting from improved access to treatments generated by the production of two critical medical isotopes – Yttrium-90 (Y-90) and Lutetium-177 (Lu-177) – inside Darlington’s nuclear reactors by Ontario Power Generation (OPG) subsidiary Laurentis Energy Partners.

The isotopes are part of a new wave of targeted radionuclide therapies that deliver radiation directly to cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue, offering new hope to patients with hard-to-treat cancers such as liver, neuroendocrine, and prostate. Demand for these isotopes is growing rapidly as new treatments are developed and approved in global markets.

Darlington’s unique CANDU design enables production of medical isotopes without interrupting electricity generation, ensuring a steady, reliable supply. The isotopes are produced using Laurentis’s isotope irradiation system, developed in partnership with BWXT Medical Ltd. and installed on Unit 2 at Darlington, and distributed to more than 30 countries around the world.

The isotopes have been produced at Darlington since early 2023 and OPG and Laurentis hopes commercial production can turn the province into an isotope “super power” by helping Ontario’s nuclear facilities double production over the next half-dozen years.

“We’re proud to be producing groundbreaking isotopes right here in Central and Eastern Ontario. By partnering with the CNIC, we’re joining with industry experts to create an isotope community, united in improving health outcomes for cancer patients, supporting isotope production, and fostering future opportunities,” said Mayor Adrian Foster, co-chair of the Central and Eastern Ontario Isotope Alliance. “We’re all in this together, pushing the isotopes sector forward. By doing so, we’re not only boosting our local economies but also making a real difference in health outcomes for people in Ontario and beyond.”

As one of two regional collaborations inspired by the CNIC’s Isotopes for Hope Campaign, the local alliance builds on a broader effort to connect municipal leaders, healthcare providers, local organizations, and industry partners around a shared vision for regional isotope growth and patient impact.

Its partners span municipal leadership, healthcare organizations, research institutions, isotope developers, and sector advocates, reflecting a regional approach to strengthening both innovation capacity and patient impact. The group’s partners include the municipalities of Clarington and Port Hope, the City of Peterborough, the counties of Northumberland, Port Hope and Renfrew, Invest Durham, Laurentis Energy Partners, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Actineer, Nordion and Ontario Power Generation.

The alliance aims to identify supply gaps, work with healthcare users to better understand needs, and support long-term growth in a sector that is becoming increasingly important to cancer care, diagnostic imaging, and health-system resilience.

“The addition of the Central and Eastern Ontario Isotope Alliance (CEOIA) to the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council marks an important step in strengthening Canada’s leadership in isotope production,” said Leslie McWilliams, President and CEO of Laurentis Energy Partners, also a co-chair of the CEOIA. “This collaboration reflects the growing strength of Central and Eastern Ontario’s nuclear sector and its vital role in advancing the production and global supply of life-saving medical isotopes. By working together across industry, government, and research organizations, we are helping position the region as a hub for clean energy innovation while improving health outcomes for patients across Canada and around the world.”

To learn more about CEOIA, visit  centraleasternontarioisotopes.ca

Darlington nuclear plant