Dr. Villalobos should receive the first shipments in 2-4 weeks I have heard. The original shipments are coming from Isotherapeutics and as previously stated Yttrium-90 is a milked from an enormous supply that is tens of thousands of tons of nuclear waste material Strontium-90 and it is very inexpensive to produce.
Radiogel comprises a two-part sterile product that is
mixed in precise amounts immediately prior to
injection: Part A is a pre-calibrated, sterile solution of highly insoluble 90Y-phosphate microspheres in a phosphate-buffered saline. Part B is a
sterile isotonic, water-based polymer solution which will act as a microsphere carrier during injection and as a container material after gelation. Parts A and B are cooled in ice, and then combined for injection. The injected solution perfuses tumor tissue and displaces extracellular fluids. As the polymer warms to body temperature, the water-based carrier solution undergoes a phase transition to a solid gel, and the polymers form cross-links that entrap the 90Y microspheres
and prevent redistribution throughout the body. The insoluble phosphate crystal
also prevents dissolution and migration of free 90Y.
The part B is essentially water and very inexpensive also.
The cost to ship is a majority of the cost so the people who say this is expensive to produce should do a little more research and due diligence. Shipping I am guessing will be done by Federal Express, yes they ship the product for hundreds of thousands of nuclear medicine procedures a year so yes they do ship radioactive materials and I am estimating the cost to ship per dose will be approximately $20-$25 per dose.
I have heard that Dr. Villalobos in the next month initially wants to treat close to 10 dogs and a few cats for some of the following cancers, mass on foreleg, Bone Cancer L proximal humerus, mass right side of larynx, STS entire muzzle, OSA zygomatic arch, T-cell Lymphoma large node, and STS Zygomatic arch. She feels Radiogel will be ideal for these procedures and has been looking for a product like this for years!
She will need to know the dosages based on tumor/volume per Y-90 to tell how much Radiogel to administer. The injection is done with a regular needle and is done in an outpatient basis with no lead lined rooms and minimal radiation restrictions.
The Radiogel has to be shipped to an authorized radiopharmacy, college, or doctor/oncologist that accepts radiopharmaceuticals and it has to be administered by a Vet who is trained in radiation or other State radiation requirements. From my research, not every vet can immediately administer but most Veterinary doctors if they are interested in Radiogel can be authorized very quickly and easy, especially at Veterinary Radiation centers.
The procedure is very easy to locate the tumor and inject the radiogel with ultrasound or sometimes without.
Again,
Which cancers of dogs is this best for?
Answer: Same as in humans: any discrete tumor that cannot be surgically removed without severe adverse consequences, or one that cannot be treated successfully by another other means.
How long is the procedure and any follow up injections?
Answer: Just a few minutes, depending on tumor type. The tumor is injected with a single or multiple injection squirts, depending on various factors. We presume that no follow-up injections will be necessary, although a second treatment could be given if any parts of the tumor survive. Some tumors will need to be reached intraoperatively, meaning that the patient will be anesthetized and opened surgically to access the tumor.
Who needs to administer and what is the dosage?
Answer: A qualified medical specialist or "Authorized User" in regulatory language; a person trained and qualified in the procedure. The "dosage" is a small amount of liquid polymer composite that will stay in the tumor and deliver a tumor radiation dose of 300 to 400 Gy (radiation units). Normal organs and tissues receive negligible dose.
I have done my own due diligence on Radiogel and by interviewing many Vets from VCA and wanting to introduce my own product using Lu-177 that I kept on finding out that Radiogel and Y-90 is a better fit, way cheaper to obtain, and what is desperately needed in this market to save companion animals and really make a difference. Dr. Alice is the real deal and Jim couldn't have found a better person to take this and really make it work. I was going to have to import my Lu-177 from Russia because the costs couldn't come near Y-90 and importing from even Russia or Peru my costs would have been triple what Y-90 Radiogel could be attained for!
This is all my opinion and I want to save companion animals and especially as a double bonus supply palliative treatment! I am talking straight product for this market and Dr. Villalobos, you couldn't have found a better combination! She will be treating many dogs and cats! What this does for the company and how far management takes it is anyone's guess! The market is gigantic! I love the combination of Radiogel and Dr. Villalobos. I believe in a little over a month you will see some incredible success stories and videos of the dogs she treats. Do your own due diligence and if you can get Lu-177 cheaper let me know because Y-90 for this is a better product.
