The Cyclotron Facility at the University of Chicago was completed at the end of the 2017 calendar year. It is a state-of-the-art facility with an IBA Cyclone® 18 cyclotron. The machine has both proton and deuteron sources and is currently outfitted with 6 targets (two 18F–, 18F2, 11C, 13N, and 15O) and two beam dumps. There are five ISO Class 8 clean rooms, four for radioactive drug production and one for dispensing of the radioactive drugs. Two are currently outfitted with 5 hot cells and a dispensing cell. Additional resource information can be found under the Resources tab. More pictures of the Facility, as well as video displaying the Insertion of the Cyclotron, are available under the Gallery tab.
There are a number of Compounds that we produce on a regular basis and for our work with the nuclear imaging part of the integrated Small Animal Imaging Research Resource, iSAIRR. The Cyclotron Facility occupies approximately 6,500 square feet in the sub-basement of the Mitchell Hospital Building. iSAIRR occupies approximately 2,000 square feet directly adjacent to the Cyclotron Facility. The two facilities operate together sharing some resources. The combined facilities and mechanical equipment space occupies 9,500 square feet.
The facility does not yet produce clinical drugs like 18F-FDG, 18F-NaF, etc. (they are available for pre-clinical research). We do currently hold an FDA approved IND for the production of human use 18F-FLT (fluorothymidine, a cell proliferation agent). We also produce MK6240 (a tau imaging agent) for humans under an IND. We expect to bring NAV4694 (an amyloid imaging agent) for humans, also under an IND, online shortly. The design of the facility was based on the concept of Quality by Design and we anticipate becoming fully 21 CFR 212 compliant when the time comes to file ANDAs for FDG and NaF.
The facility continues a long legacy of radiochemistry work that started in 1967 with the installation of one of the first academically based cyclotrons in the United States, a CS-15. That machine was decommissioned in 1997. For additional information see the History tab.