- ASP Isotopes has started commercial production of enriched Carbon-14 at its first Aerodynamic Separation Process (ASP) enrichment facility in Pretoria, South Africa.
The Company’s Carbon-14 enrichment facility was the Company’s first enrichment facility constructed in South Africa and was expected to start commercial production during 2024. However, the specialized feedstock, supplied to the Company in South Africa by the customer, was delayed primarily due to international shipping complications.
The Company previously announced that it has entered a multi-year take-or-pay contract with a Canadian customer, RC-14 Inc., that has a minimum commitment of approximately $2.4 million per annum.
Carbon-14 is the most frequently used radiolabel for drug discovery, drug metabolism, and pharmacokinetics. Carbon naturally exists in many drug molecules, and thus it provides better radiolabelling sites. Radiolabelling is a scientific technique used to track the passage of a molecule. The technique incorporates a radioisotope through a reaction, cell, organism, biological system, or metabolic pathway. Russia has historically been responsible for the entire global supply of enriched Carbon-14 and already existing shortages have been exacerbated with persistent global disruptions during recent years.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
