€5 Million for Lead4Life
Development of Innovative Radiopharmaceuticals for Cancer Treatment
The Lead4Life research program has been awarded a €5 million PPP grant (Public-Private Partnership) from Health~Holland for the development of lead-212-based radiopharmaceuticals for the treatment of cancer. This initiative—a collaboration between KWF, NRG PALLAS, FAST, and the Oncode Institute—is set to launch in 2026. Through this partnership, the Netherlands is taking a significant step toward securing a strong international position in the development and application of a new generation of radiopharmaceutical cancer treatments.
Lead4Life focuses on making pharmaceutical-grade lead-212 available and developing the technologies required to apply these radiopharmaceuticals safely and effectively in (pre)clinical research and, ultimately, patient care. Because production, technology, and clinical application are highly interdependent, this development requires a programmatic and collaborative approach.
Collaborating to Accelerate Clinical Entry
Within Lead4Life, academic researchers, companies, healthcare providers, and patient representatives work closely together. By connecting these parties at an early stage, a cohesive development pathway is created, allowing new lead-212 radiopharmaceuticals to move from the laboratory to the patient more quickly and purposefully.
The program contributes to new treatment options for cancer patients and strengthens the Dutch economic potential. By accelerating innovation in SMEs, attracting (inter)national business activity, and creating high-quality employment, the Netherlands is building on its unique nuclear infrastructure and solidifying its position as a European hub for radiopharmaceutical development and production.
The Lead4Life Program
The Lead4Life program consists of two main components:
Availability of Lead-212
Establishing a reliable, non-exclusive production and supply chain for pharmaceutical-grade lead-212 and the necessary precursors.
Development of Supporting Technologies
Technologies for clinically sound application, such as dosimetry, imaging, radiation protection, waste management, and radiobiological substantiation.
Combining these elements creates a complete innovation chain that enables researchers and companies to bring new lead-212 radiopharmaceuticals to (pre)clinical application faster.
“Ensuring Scalability, Affordability, and Continuity”
Carla van Gils, Director of KWF Cancer Society: “Radiopharmaceuticals offer promising new treatment options for cancer patients and are a key focus area within KWF’s 'Medicines' priority. With Lead4Life, we are bringing together researchers, companies, healthcare providers, and patient representatives to take a firm first step toward the clinical application of innovative radiopharmaceuticals based on lead-212.”
Marjolijn Droog, Executive Director of Medical Isotope Solutions, NRG PALLAS: “Lead-212 has the potential to make a meaningful impact on cancer treatment. With the construction of the new medical isotope production reactor in Petten, the Netherlands is making a substantial investment that allows Lead4Life, alongside academic and private partners, to bring innovative cancer treatments to the clinic. Simultaneously, the program is building the essential supply chain and supporting technology to ensure a reliable chain from raw material to end product. Our priority is ensuring scalability, affordability, and continuity on a non-exclusive basis, so these therapies become widely available.”
Why Lead-212?
Radiopharmaceuticals are medicines that deliver radioactive radiation very precisely to cancer cells, minimizing damage to healthy tissue. Existing radiopharmaceuticals often use beta emitters, such as lutetium-177, which are already successfully used for prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors, among others.
Lead-212 acts as a source of alpha radiation, meaning it releases higher-energy radiation within a very small area. This makes it potentially more effective at killing cancer cells while maintaining extreme precision. This offers prospects for better treatment outcomes, with potential gains in life expectancy and perhaps even cures. Particularly for hard-to-treat forms of cancer, this could lead to a significant improvement in treatment options.
With the current HFR reactor and the future PALLAS reactor in Petten, the Netherlands possesses the unique infrastructure and expertise to become a leading global producer of innovative and widely applicable radiopharmaceuticals.
Safety of Lead-212
Lead-212 is used in extremely small quantities and delivers radioactive radiation with extreme precision to cancer cells. It is an alpha emitter with a range of only a few micrometers, meaning the radiation is almost entirely confined to the tumor and hardly reaches healthy tissue.
The amount of lead-212 used is negligibly small and cannot be compared to stable lead, which was historically used in water pipes, paint, or gasoline. Furthermore, lead-212 has a short half-life of approximately 11 hours. As a result, radioactivity decreases rapidly, and the amount of radioactive waste remains limited and can be safely processed according to existing regulations.
