Province launches Nuclear Isotope Innovation Council, with Scongack as chairman

Bruce Power is a proud member of the Nuclear Isotope Innovation Council of Ontario and applauds the provincial government for taking a positive step forward in leading the way in becoming a global superpower in the production of cancer-fighting medical isotopes.

Ontario energy minister Stephen Lecce announced the formation of the innovation council, July 30, at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, surrounded by health-care professionals who have seen the amazing benefits medical isotopes for cancer treatments.

“Ontario is proud to lead the world in the fight against cancer by harnessing the power of nuclear innovation to produce life-saving medical isotopes,” said Lecce. “With the creation of this innovation council, we’re not only advancing our global leadership in isotope research and production, we’re helping patients live longer, healthier lives, building a world-class bio-manufacturing economy and turning Ontario’s clean-energy advantage into a catalyst for breakthrough health innovation. This is how we grow our economy and save lives at the same time.”

As part of the announcement, Lecce introduced James Scongack as the chairman of the newly-formed ministerial advisory panel. Bruce Power’s chief operating officer and executive vice-president has long been a champion of medical isotope innovation and production as a founding chairman of the industry-led Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

“This is an exciting opportunity to expand Ontario’s leadership role in medical isotope innovation and bring hope to patients around the world,” said Scongack. “I thank minister Lecce, the government, industry, health care and community leaders for their commitment to growing our medical isotope sector.”

Leveraging Ontario’s nuclear fleet, the province and Canada have been leaders in the production of medical isotopes for decades. In addition to generating affordable, reliable and clean electricity, Ontario’s nuclear reactors are global powerhouses in the innovation and production of life-saving medical isotopes, an advantage that must be expanded as demand for precision radiopharmaceuticals continues to grow at home and around the world.

“It is a privilege to be a physician member of the innovation council as we have to plan the global expansion of medical isotopes in the treatment of multiple cancer types,” said Dr. Arjun Sahgal, chief of the department of radiation oncology and the radiation treatment program at Sunnybrook, and president of the International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society.

“It is critical and challenging to lay the path forward so that all cancer patients in Ontario have access to these life-prolonging therapies, and their voices heard. We are privileged in Ontario to have world-leading nuclear isotope facilities and doctors committed to advancing cancer care with medical isotopes.”

Ontario’s long-standing isotope leadership - from Cobalt-60, which revolutionized external beam cancer treatments and the sterilization of medical equipment, to more recent ground-breaking innovation that leverages CANDU technologies to produce Lutetium-177 and Molybdenum-99 - has already made an invaluable impact on global health care. As cancer rates rise, the global nuclear medicine market is projected to reach $33-billion by 2031.

The Nuclear Isotope Innovation Council of Ontario will leverage the leadership of the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council and distinguished experts in the field of medical isotope production and use. The innovation council will develop a report on the key opportunities and next steps in research, development, and production of medical isotopes in the province, and how Ontario’s nuclear energy initiatives can make the province an isotope powerhouse.

The innovation council will also ensure its work reflects the recent announcement by the Ontario government on Fortress Am-Can. The United States is one of the largest pharmaceutical markets in the world and it relies on a reliable supply of medical isotopes that are made in Ontario.

Along with Scongack, other distinguished leaders and experts comprise the council, including Riaz Bandali, Nordion; Dr. Rebecca Wong, University Health Network; Dr. Karin Stephenson, McMaster University; Kim Lauritsen, Ontario Power Generation (OPG); John D’Angelo, IsoGen; Chief Greg Nadjiwon, Gamzook’aamin aakoziwin; Dr. Doug Boreham, Northern Ontario School of Medicine; Dominik Nowak, Ontario Medical Association; Dr. Sahgal, Sunnybrook Hospital; and Vittorio Puppo, BWXT Medical.



James Scongack (centre), Bruce Power chief operating officer and executive vice-president, has been named chairman of the newly-formed Nuclear Isotope Innovation Council of Ontario; with him, are Ontario energy minister Stephen Lecce (left) and Vic Fideli, Ontario minister of economic development, job creation and trade