Chesterfield med-tech firm inks deal to expand supply of cancer-fighting isotope

By Diana Barr | St. Louis Business Journal | Apr 22, 2026

TAG1 Inc., a Chesterfield-based supplier of medical isotopes, signed a supply agreement with a Netherlands-based technology firm, saying the companies plan to expand the supply of a radioactive material used in experimental cancer treatments, a move aimed at supporting the development of next‑generation therapies across Europe.

TAG1 and NRG PALLAS BV, a producer of medical isotopes and developer of nuclear technologies, said Wednesday they plan to work to increase distribution of Lead‑212, a radioactive isotope used in so-called targeted alpha therapies (TATs), an emerging form of cancer treatment. TAG1 specializes in producing Lead-212 for use in TATs.

Lead‑212 is a radioactive form of lead that emits alpha particles, a type of radiation that can destroy cancer cells at very short range. In TAT, the isotope is attached to a molecule designed to seek out cancer cells, allowing radiation to be delivered directly to tumors while limiting damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

The two companies will work to supply Lead‑212 to pharmaceutical companies and hospital‑based oncology programs in Europe, officials said in a news release.

The partnership builds on an existing supply arrangement under which NRG will continue providing Radium‑224 to TAG1 through 2028. Radium‑224 is another radioactive isotope that decays into Lead‑212 and serves as its starting material.

TAG1’s proprietary portable generator can convert Radium‑224 into Lead‑212 at or near clinical sites. The generator allows hospitals or research centers to produce their own supply of short‑lived isotopes on demand, reducing the logistical challenges of transporting radioactive materials that quickly lose potency.

NRG PALLAS, led by CEO Maurits Wolleswinkel, brings large‑scale isotope production capabilities to the deal, operating its high flux reactor in Petten, and currently constructing a new reactor there to replace the HFR. NRG PALLAS was formed in January 2025 when the Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group merged with the PALLAS-Reactor Preparation Foundation in the Netherlands to build the new reactor.

Terms of TAG1’s deal with NRG weren’t disclosed.

“This milestone represents an important step in finding new cures for cancer,” Sumit Verma, TAG1 president and CEO, said in a statement. “By combining NRG PALLAS’ experience and infrastructure with TAG1’s portable generator, we believe we can accelerate the development of new Lead-212-based therapeutics for patients.”

Separately, TAG1 in March announced a partnership with Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through which TAG1 will use its proprietary generator to supply Lead-212 to Dana-Farber’s Molecular Cancer Imaging Facility. In June last year, TAG1 said it had struck a partnership with PharmaLogic, a Boca Raton, Florida-based radiopharmaceutical contract manufacturer, to scale up production of its Lead-212 generator technology.