On Friday 26 July, the European Commission authorised €2 billion in Dutch aid to support the PALLAS project, which aims to produce medical radioisotopes for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
This measure will help to ensure the security of supply of essential and life-saving medicines, in line with the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe.
The PALLAS project involves the construction of a reactor and a nuclear health centre in Petten, in the Netherlands. The decision follows a 2013 Commission decision approving aid for the preparatory phase of the PALLAS project. The new reactor will replace the existing high-flux reactor, one of the world leaders in the production of medical isotopes, which has been in operation since 1961. The new reactor is scheduled to start operating in the early 2030s. The nuclear health centre will process the medical isotopes produced by the reactor into radiochemicals, which will then be further processed into radiopharmaceuticals that can be administered to patients for the diagnosis and treatment of several diseases including cancer.
The nuclear reactor and health centre will also be used for research activities. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)