Toronto 
Ontario has introduced PLUVICTO, a new treatment for advanced-stage prostate cancer, making it the first province in Canada to provide the therapy through its publicly funded drug program.
The treatment was recently administered for the first time at the London Health Sciences Centre.
Prostate cancer is the most prevalent cancer among men in Canada, affecting one in nine men over their lifetime. Pluvicto, a targeted radioligand therapy, uses lutetium-177, a medical isotope, combined with a targeting ligand to treat advanced forms of the disease. Patients must undergo a specialized PET scan and evaluation to determine eligibility for the treatment.
Ontario plans to roll out the therapy at cancer treatment centers across the province over the coming months. Radiation therapy is currently available at 14 regional centers and three satellite facilities in Ontario.
Per the news release, the province is a global leader in medical isotope production, a crucial component of PLUVICTOTM. In 2022, Bruce Power’s Unit 7 reactor became the first worldwide to produce lutetium-177. Ontario is expanding production capabilities with a second isotope line at the Bruce site to meet increasing demand.
