Thanks to a landmark agreement that has been announced today (Tuesday 16th December) between the cutting-edge biotech firm Bicycle Therapeutics, and the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, tens of thousands of doses of cutting-edge cancer therapies are set to be produced.
With the ability to help save lives, and tackle some of the hardest-to-treat forms of cancer, these therapies are set to be produced from hundreds of tonnes of reprocessed uranium generated from historic processing of spent nuclear reactor fuel.
Liz Kendall, the Science and Technology Secretary has said: “Cancer is a disease that affects millions worldwide, and tears too many families apart. Breakthroughs in medical science are giving more cancer patients and their loved ones hope, and this unique partnership could help take that work even further.
“Turning nuclear material into cutting-edge cancer treatments sounds like science fiction – but thanks to the brilliance of scientists, researchers and doctors, it could be a life-saving reality. Work like this shows exactly why we’re determined to support our life sciences innovators to make groundbreaking new treatments possible.”
Bicycle was co-founded by one of the luminaries of British science, sir Greg Winter, who was honoured with the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2018, and will now use a groundbreaking process developed by United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL) to harvest the valuable medical isotope lead-212 from reprocessed uranium.
CEO of Bicycle Therapeutics, Kevin Lee, PhD. has said: “As a UK-based biotech company, we are incredibly grateful to the UK Government for their recognition of Bicycle’s Nobel-prize winning science and potential to create radiopharmaceutical cancer therapies from up to 400 tonnes of reprocessed uranium over 15 years. We are proud to be part of the British life sciences ecosystem and collaborate to help people and support economic growth. This is a significant milestone, bringing us closer to our goal of helping patients live longer and live well.”
A tiny amount of lead-212’s parent material is extracted through a series of processes and radioactive decay – equivalent to the size of a single drop of water in an Olympic-sized swimming pool is enough. An even tinier amount of lead-212 is then taken for use in radiopharmaceuticals: a type of precision medicine that could help treat some of the cancers that conventional treatments struggle to tackle.
This new development builds on the government’s wider work to transform cancer care across the NHS. It is overhauling the health service to catch cancer sooner and save lives – expanding diagnostic capacity and investing in new technology to ensure patients can access timely, high-quality care.
This will include cutting cancer waiting times, with 110,000 more patients being diagnosed or having cancer ruled out within 28 days from an urgent GP or screening service referral between November 2025 to October 2025 compared to the previous year.
Health Innovation Minister, Dr Zubir Ahmed, has said: “Every breakthrough that gives patients and their loved ones new hope matters deeply – and this extraordinary partnership could be truly life-changing for people facing some of the hardest-to-treat cancers.
“I’m immensely proud that we’re backing partnerships like this, showcasing how British innovation can transform lives. By turning nuclear material into precision cancer treatments, we’re opening new frontiers in the fight against this deadly disease.
“This is exactly the kind of bold thinking that will help us build an NHS fit for the future – harnessing life sciences potential to improve care, save lives, and drive economic growth across the UK.”
Julianne Antrobus, Chief Executive Officer at UKNNL, said: “Our purpose is nuclear science to benefit society, and this partnership is a perfect example of this in action. We’re proud to be part of the nuclear and life sciences sectors coming together, forging innovative collaborations that tackle some of healthcare’s most pressing challenges in transformative ways. It’s incredible to see UKNNL’s expertise at the forefront of the global fight against cancer. Decades of research by our dedicated teams has made unique partnerships like this possible, and I look forward to seeing our work with Bicycle and the NDA progress.”
Radiopharmaceuticals work by delivering radiotherapy directly to cancer cells: destroying tumours while reducing the chances of side effects. This could help the treatment of cancers that conventional therapies can sometimes struggle to tackle, including prostate cancer, and neuroendoctrine cancers that can affect organs like the gut and pancreas.
Bicycle will extract lead-212 with a novel radioisotope generator, developed exclusively for them by medical isotope experts Spectron Rx.
Bicycle Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge (UK) developing a novel class of medicines, referred to as Bicycle® molecules, for diseases that are underserved by existing therapeutics.
NDA Group CEO, David Peattie, said: “We’re proud to make part of our uranium inventory available to Bicycle, enabling the development of innovative, life-saving treatments.
“As the organisation entrusted with the safe and secure management, storage, and disposal of the UK’s radioactive materials and waste—a responsibility we take extremely seriously—this collaboration demonstrates how we can go beyond our core mission.
“By leveraging our unique capabilities, expertise, and resources, we’re helping to advance wider UK Government ambitions and create a lasting positive legacy for the nation.”
All of this complements the £20 million funding announced, last month, for research into lead-212 extraction being conducted by UKNNL and Medicines Discovery Catapult. The Government is determined to unleash a golden era of nuclear technology and innovation, and today’s news comes hot on the heels of Government backing for Sizewell C on the Suffolk coast and small modular reactors in North Wales.
