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A proud history and a bright future

For 75 years, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories has been at the forefront of innovation in nuclear medicine, radiopharmaceuticals, and low dose radiation research.  In the 1950’s we launched the medical isotope industry that revolutionized the way we treat modern diseases. We lead the world in the production of Cobalt-60 and Molydenum-99 — both crucial radiopharmaceuticals in our collective effort to save lives, fight disease and beat cancer.

Together, we’ve changed the lives of millions of people around the world.

And now, we are about to do it again.

  • 1947

    National Research Experimental Reactor (NRX) goes online. The first shipment of a medical isotope, Cerium 144, was shipped to the University of Saskatchewan three months after the NRX started.

  • 1948

    I-131 production started in NRX

  • 1949

    Routine production of iodine 131 for pharmaceutical use along with carbon 14, phosphorous 32 and sulfur 35 for R&D.

  • 1949

    CRL begins to supply Co-60 to industry.

  • 1949

    Routine C-14 production commences.

  • 1951

    World’s first megavoltage cancer treatment was delivered with an external beam radiotherapy system, Eldorado A, developed by and using cobalt 60 from Chalk River.

  • 1952

    Montreal General Hospital requests permit to use I-131 in localization of brain tumours

  • 1953

    Routine Ir-192 production in NRX

  • 1957

    National Research Universal Reactor (NRU), a multi-purpose research reactor goes online at Chalk River Laboratories.

  • 1957

    Gammacell self-contained research irradiator introduced.

  • 1961

    Mobile production irradiator cobalt 60 production irradiator used to illustrate the benefits for food irradiation.

  • 1964

    First cobalt 60 industrial sterilization facility to sterilize medical supplies.

  • 1965

    The start-up of the world's first commercial food irradiation facility in Mont St. Hillaire, Quebec.

  • 1966

    NRX starts producing I-125.

  • 1968

    NRU starts producing I-125.

  • 1970

    First Molybdenum 99 produced in NRU. NRU would produce enough Mo-99 for over 400 million scans.

  • 1971

    First Molybdenum 99 produced in NRX.

  • 1971

    Kanata cobalt processing facilities open.

  • 1972

    Routine shipments of CRL irradiated Mo-99 targets to Tunney’s Pasture.

  • 1974

    Chalk River Laboratories begins large scale production of Molybdenum-99. This mission would go on to service the global healthcare market for over 50 years. Steadily delivering 30-40% of worldwide demand, at its peak as much as 80%.

  • 1977

    CRL Mo-99 processing facility commissioned.

  • 1978

    Team with TRIUMF to produce iodine 123; the same facilities will go on to produce palladium 103, strontium 82, thallium 201, indium 111, gadolinium 67 and cobalt 57 in the subsequent two years

  • 1979

    Xenon-133 production begin as a by-product of AECL’s Molybdenum-99 operation

  • 1981

    Trial Sm-153 irradiation/production in NRU

  • 1982

    First cyclotron-produced isotopes shipped from Vancouver facilities.

  • 1983

    Kanata (future Nordion) isotope processing facilities open

  • 1985

    First to develop Xenon-133 as a medical isotope.

  • 1987

    Canadian Irradiation Centre opens in Laval for demonstration and training

  • 1990

    Nordion Europe created with the acquisition of Belgium manufacturing facility.

  • 1988

    Commercial Products Division is renamed Nordion Inc.

  • 1990

    Therasphere production commences in NRU.

  • 1991

    Yttrium-90 Theraspheres are approved by Health and Welfare Canada for general use.

  • 1991

    Creating jobs and new companies, AECL completes its most successful commercial spinoff, Nordion, sale to MDS Inc.

  • 1998

    The division which produced Cobalt 60 external beam therapy systems and radiotherapy computerized treatment planning systems was sold to MDS Nordion.

  • 1998

    Biological Research Facility, a globally unique low dose radiation animal research facility is commissioned.

  • 2003

    Biological Research Facility advances use of radiation and isotopes by demonstrating low dose gamma radiation reduces tumor latency times in mice.

  • 2014

    Biological Research Facility develops use of low-dose radiation to enhance the performance of stem cells.

  • 2018

    Biological Research Facility contributes to pre-clinical and toxicology studies for use of next generation isotopes like Ac-225 and Lu-177.

  • 2019

    CNL and TRIUMF organize the 11th Targeted-Alpha-Therapy Symposium in Ottawa, Canada.

  • 2020

    Developing next generation isotope production, CNL begins commercial sale of Actinium 225 while the Biological Research Facility contributes to pre-clinical and toxicology studies for use of next generation isotopes like Ac-225 and Lu-177.

  • 2021

    (Pending) The Biological Research Facilities at CNL receives GLP certification.

Actinium: A new weapon in the fight against cancer

Some of the world’s top scientists at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories: the development of advanced life-saving treatments that harness the power of nuclear science and radioisotopes to achieve unprecedented levels of precision in beating cancer.

This work includes production of a promising new weapon in the fight against cancer – Actinium-225 – a radioisotope so rare that the annual global production amounts to less than a single grain of sand.  In targeted alpha therapies, the Actinium 225 isotope is attached to an antibody, which then locks on to the antigen on the cancer cell. When the isotope decays, it emits high-energy alpha particles that kill the cancer cell by shattering its DNA. The healthy cells nearby are unharmed by this process.

Our work in this area enables CNL and others around to world to carry out the critical trials and research needed to make this promising new medicine into a real possibility.

  • Jeff Griffin

    Our work at CNL with actinium-225 is two-fold: we’ve launched a production program to produce larger quantities of this isotope enabling further research and testing, but we’re also conducting foundational research to help accelerate the development of medical applications that can truly unlock its potential.

    - Jeff Griffin, Vice-President, Science & Technology

Health Sciences

CNL maintains diverse capabilities in areas of health and dosimetry services, including animal studies, isotope production and processing, targeted radionuclide therapies, ISO-accredited Analytical Chemistry services and waste management solutions. CNL is committed to improving the health of the world’s population through its work in the Health sector.

CNL’s Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) is a leader in the industry; a full service nuclear laboratory with the capability to perform cutting-edge pharmaceutical development, along with a wide range of radiochemical analyses. CNL’s health sciences facilities are staffed by an expert multi-discipline team of researchers and technologists.

To learn more about CNL’s capabilities and facilities, please select one of the below areas:

Biological Research Facility

CNL’s Biological Research Facility (BRF) plays a key role in proving and improving the standards for radiation safety and worker protection across the nuclear industry. The BRF conducts radiological research using live biological specimens and cell cultures.

Radiobiology and Radiochemistry

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) is perhaps best known for supplying the nuclear medicine industry with radioisotopes for over six decades. What you may not know is that CNL’s researchers also perform cutting-edge research in isotope processing, purification and radiolabelling, targeted radionuclide therapies, internal dosimetry, stem cell technology, and the effects of low-dose radiation.

Shielded Facilities

CNL has provided post-irradiation examination and testing of irradiated materials. Its shielded facilities provide a comprehensive set of capabilities, from material handling and sample preparation, to microscopic examination/analysis, bulk chemical and surface analysis, plus a range of mechanical testing capabilities.

Past projects include:

  • Collaborative projects with Canadian researchers to help improve understanding of Alzheimer’s disease, and athlerosclerosis.
  • Understanding the cancer and non-cancer risks from exposure to high-dose radiation.

  • Models for predicting radiation exposure for mission planning aboard the International Space Station.
  • Studies on cell survival in tumor cells and xenografts exposed to single and fractionated doses of X-rays.
  • Measuring DNA damage and repair in mouse splenocytes after chronic in vivo exposure to very low doses of beta and gamma radiation

Why CNL?

Canada has a long history of leadership in nuclear medicine. As a world leader in the production of medical isotopes, CNL is experienced in producing medical radioisotopes at a commercial scale, manufacturing and irradiating targets, separating isotopes, and managing waste. In parallel, CNL has unique capabilities in conducting pre-clinical studies and understanding the effects of radiation and radionuclides on living things.

CNL aims to become a strong player in the international R&D efforts around, and a key supplier of, alpha-emitting isotopes. Research activities  have been underway for decades, though an international scarcity of key nuclides for this research severely restricts clinical trials, which delays the deployment of effective treatments.

CNL has the necessary expertise in isotope separation, experience in scale-up of processing and handling radionuclides, as well as specialized facilities capable of safely processing alpha-emitting isotopes.