Russian hospitals are beginning to use the radiopharmaceutical cancer drug Rakurs 223Ra developed by the Scientific and Clinical Center for Radiology and Oncology (Dimitrovgrad) of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency (FMBA) of Russia.
“The drug has passed state registration and is approved for use in clinical oncology. The first batch has already been delivered to medical institutions in the Russian Federation,” stated the FMBA announcement.
The drug, based on the radionuclide radium-223, is intended for the treatment of certain types of cancer, primarily for bone metastases.
“The radioactive emission of 223Ra selectively targets bone metastases, reducing pain and improving patients’ quality of life,” the announcement notes. The use of this alpha-emitter minimizes damage to healthy tissues surrounding the tumor due to the short particle track.
Rakurs 223Ra is an analogue of Bayer’s well-known Xofigo. According to the State Register of Medicinal Products, the drug radium chloride 223-Ra is also produced by the company Prostor Pharma — an industrial partner of the Ural Federal University.