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A small quantity of a radioactive isotope called the “rarest drug on earth” has been produced by Vancouver-based TRIUMF and an Ontario nuclear science laboratory.

In medicine, radioactive isotopes are often used in imaging, to visualize what’s going on inside the body — in organs, bones, tumours, and blood flow, for example. But the scarce radioactive isotope called actinium-225 has unique properties that scientists believe could eradicate cancer cells.

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On Wednesday, the UBC-based TRIUMF, the world’s largest cyclotron particle accelerator, and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories said they have completed their first production run of actinium-225.

When injected into the bloodstream, actinium-225 emits radiation that can kill the cancer cells. It can be paired with a cancer-seeking drug so it zeros in on cancer cells, while ignoring healthy tissue.

However, there is so little actinium-225 that only a handful of patients can be treated in the world each year.