CERN-MEDICIS (MEDical Isotopes Collected from ISOLDE): A new facility

About 50% of the 1.4GeV CERN’s protons are sent onto targets to produce radioactive beams by online mass separation at ISOLDE, for a wide range of studies in fundamental and applied physics. CERN-MEDICIS is a spin-off dedicated to R&D in life sciences and medical applications. It is located in an extension of the Class A building presently under construction. It will comprise laboratories to receive the irradiated targets from a new station located at the dump position behind the ISOLDE production targets. An increasing range of innovative isotopes will thus progressively become accessible from the start-up of the facility in 2015 onward; for fundamental studies in cancer research, for new imaging and therapy protocols in cell and animal models and for pre-clinical trials, possibly extended to specific early phase clinical studies up to phase I trials. 500 MBq isotope batches purified by electromagnetic mass separation combined with chemical methods will be collected on a weekly basis. Possible future upgrade with GBq pharmaceutical-grade (i.e., cGMP) batch production capabilities is finally presented.