Second Cyclotron and Radiochemistry Facility Opens at 1701 Page Mill
The Stanford Medicine Department of Radiology is excited to announce the opening of its second Cyclotron and Radiochemistry Facility (CRF) at 1701 Page Mill Road in January 2025, marking a significant expansion in its capacity to support cutting-edge research in medical imaging and radiopharmaceutical development. This milestone underscores the department’s commitment to meeting the increasing demand for radiopharmaceuticals while advancing precision health with diagnostics and theragnostic treatments.
The opening of this second CRF site is the result of a decade-long process that was been supported by countless people to help realize the late Dr. Sanjiv "Sam" Gambhir's vision for new opportunities to train not only the next generation of radiochemists but research scientists studying the diagnosis, staging, and monitoring of disease to improve patient care.
Enhancing Research and Clinical Applications
Some of the hot cells and automated modules for radiosynthesis in the 1701 Page Mill facility.
Since 2006, the CRF has operated out of the Richard M. Lucas Center on Welch Road. The Lucas Center location remains fully operational and with the new 1701 Page Mill location, the CRF’s capacity has doubled for both clinical and pre-clinical production of radiotracers. In addition, the Page Mill site has the added capability to provide metal isotopes and dedicated space for theragnostic agents, aligned with the mission and needs of SHC, LPCH and the VA.
The new facility is designed to meet the growing demand for high-quality radiotracers and novel radiopharmaceuticals, essential for targeted imaging, novel theragnostics, and personalized treatments. With state-of-the-art infrastructure and expanded production capabilities, Stanford Radiology and the CRF are poised to accelerate translational research, promote precision medicine, and support innovation across more researchers.
A Leap Forward in Innovation and Future Growth
The addition of a second cyclotron at Stanford enables increased production of radioisotopes to support the radiosynthesis of over 40 radiopharmaceuticals. The new cyclotron features both a liquid and solid target, enabling it to provide a wider range of radioisotopes. The liquid target enables production of short-lived radioisotopes like Oxygen-15, which is used to measure blood flow and oxygen metabolism of the brain and heart, and Flourine-18, which is commonly used in the form of 18F-FDG for PET imaging of glucose metabolism to diagnose cancer. The solid target adds production of longer-lived radioisotopes primarily used for radiotherapy, such as Lutetium-177.
The 1701 Page Mill facility also features 12 hot cells and a cleanroom, which provides an ultra-clean environment for sterile drug production. With this significant expansion in radioisotope production capabilities and world-class quality control, the new CRF facility provides new opportunities for developing next-generation radiopharmaceuticals, facilitating groundbreaking studies in molecular imaging and targeted therapies.
A look at the targets within the GE PETtrace 890 cyclotron installed at 1701 Page Mill.
Strengthening Collaborations and the CRF Team
The enhanced capabilities of the department’s radiochemistry program will translate to more access to more researchers across campus, helping foster more interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists, clinicians, and industry leaders.
A dedicated team of radiochemists are crucial towards all of the research and production that happens at the CRF. Recently, Stanford Medicine featured Noeen Malik, PhD, lead radiochemist and industry partnership lead, as part of their “Wow! You Do What?!” series, highlighting the different aspects of her role the variety of tasks a radiochemist faces each day. As Malik shared in the article, “Seeing these radiopharmaceuticals move from the lab into clinical trials — and knowing they could directly enhance patient care — is incredibly rewarding.”
As the CRF facility and team continue to expand, they remain focused on pushing boundaries to develop advance precision health by enabling proactive and personalized care while diagnosing diseases earlier and tailoring treatments to achieve better outcomes for patients.
CRF By The Numbers
Image courtesy of Stanford Medicine Office of Communications.