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CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Bruce Power gets funding to increase cancer-fighting isotope production
Production of medical isotopes at the Bruce Power Nuclear Plant near Kincardine, Ont. is seen in this undated image. (Source: Bruce Power) Domestic supply chains for medical isotope production in Canada has received a boost from the federal government. Announced on Tuesday, the investment of up to $35 million over five years will support the project at the Bruce Power Nuclear Plant facility in Tiverton, Ont. According to the federal government, this next phase will see the installation of a second isotope production system (IPS) at Bruce Power's CANDU Unit 6 reactor, which will allow for a significant increase in the plant's ability to produce the medical isotope lutetium-177, used in targeted cancer therapies. 'Canada is proud to support research and development on medical isotopes... With this investment, we will continue to play a leading role in the global supply of medical isotopes and drive the creation of innovative health care treatments for Canadians,' said Minister of Health, Marjorie Michel. BRUCE POWER - ISOTOPES - AUG 2025 Officials make an announcement at Bruce Power on Aug. 19, 2025. (Scott Miller/CTV News London) Medical isotopes are used by medical professionals to diagnose and treat health conditions such as heart disease and cancer. Medical isotopes are produced using two overarching technologies: nuclear reactors and particle accelerators. There are currently global constraints on the supply of medical isotopes, and according to the government, the CMIE will ensure that Canada remains at the forefront of nuclear medicine innovation.
National Post
8 hours ago
- National Post
Health Canada approves Ozempic for kidney protection in Type 2 diabetics
Glomerular filtration rate is a measure that shows how well the kidneys are filtering out waste and excess water. Ozempic is the first GLP-1 drug approved in Canada to protect both kidneys and the heart in patients with Type 2 diabetes, said Ur, noting that the cardiovascular benefits of semaglutide have been extensively studied. 'The benefit of Ozempic is that you also get weight loss, which is a very important goal for most people (with Type 2 diabetes). That's a very exciting combination,' he said. Some people experience gastrointestinal side effects when they take Ozempic, Ur said, including nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhea. More severe complications can include gall bladder inflammation and pancreatitis, but most side effects are minor, he said. The benefit of slowing or stopping progressive kidney disease in people with diabetes would outweigh the risks of minor side effects, Ur said. The FLOW trial was conducted in 28 countries, including Canada. The researchers randomized 3,533 people with diabetes and chronic kidney disease to either receive Ozempic or a placebo. The study was conducted between 2019 and early 2024. Participants were followed for an average of 3.4 years to monitor for 'major kidney disease events,' including kidney failure leading to dialysis or transplantation, a 50-per-cent reduction in kidney function measured by glomerular filtration rate, or death from kidney-related or cardiovascular causes. The Ozempic or placebo doses were given to participants on top of other medications they were taking, including drugs to control blood pressure and blood sugar. Although reducing blood pressure and blood sugar have beneficial effects for the kidneys, Cherney said Ozempic appeared to have an additional positive impact on kidney function and future research can help pinpoint how that works. 'Another weapon against kidney disease is incredibly powerful. And these medicines will often turn patients around who are doing very poorly because it addresses so many different issues — the kidney, the cardiovascular, the metabolic, and the weight,' said Cherney. Ur said it's possible Ozempic could play a role in reducing inflammation in the kidneys and that might be one explanation for its positive effect. Regardless of the reason for its effectiveness, he said the FLOW trial and Health Canada's approval reinforces the importance of using the drug 'relatively early in the disease process' to minimize kidney damage in people with Type 2 diabetes. Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
CBC
10 hours ago
- CBC
'Not taking any chances,' Ontario researcher closes lab after premier warns to stop testing on dogs
Social Sharing Less than a week after Ontario Premier Doug Ford vowed to "start hunting down" scientists who use cats and dogs in medical testing studies, one Ottawa-based researcher says he is shutting down his lab. "It was enormously scary," said Carleton University Canada research professor Andy Adler, who closed his project lab at the university on Friday. "I talked to a number of people in the research ethics office here and I was told that the kind of stuff I'm doing is extremely non-invasive and that I shouldn't need to worry, but here's the premier of Ontario threatening to hunt me down," Adler said. "I was scared." Last Tuesday, Premier Doug Ford told a press conference in Windsor that it was unacceptable for canines to be used in cardiac research that was approved by London's Lawson Research Institute and St. Joseph's Health Care London. "I have now directed our team to start hunting down anyone else doing research on dogs or cats," Ford said. "If you're doing this with dogs or cats, you gotta stop before I catch you. ... We're going to legislate this ... You aren't gonna be going after animals like that." A day earlier, St. Joseph's said it would immediately end all research involving dogs"following consultations with the province." Neither the hospital nor the premier's office responded to CBC News' questions about whether the province directly ordered the cardiac testing to end. Adler's research lab was working on developing improved veterinary monitoring technology, meant to help veterinarians check large animals' lungs and blood flow during daily surgeries, ensuring that animals remain stable throughout the process. His lab was creating a new type of stick-on electrode to be used in these scenarios that can reach around animals' fur, so veterinarians will not need to shave them. "The dog market is big. There are lots of dogs and lots of dogs get surgery," Adler said. "There is a big need to have improved instruments to help to do that kind of care better." Animal testing at Adler's lab involved putting typical monitoring jackets and the newly-built electrodes on service animals working at the university, allowing researchers to compare the efficacy. He has done the exact same type of testing on horses, and similar work on dolphins and sea lions, he said. "This is very non-invasive stuff that we're doing here at Carleton," Adler said, adding that he has previously done more invasive testing outside of the school that involved euthanizing dogs. Still, he said Ford's statement comes across as all-inclusive. "The Premier wasn't just saying, 'If you are doing something egregious, [you will be hunted down]', but 'If you are doing any research at all on cats and dogs, you will be hunted down,'" Adler said. "This is super threatening language and is explicitly intended to cover people like me who are doing very non-invasive work." "I'm not taking any chances." The premier's office did not respond to CBC's questions about whether he plans to end all types of research or dogs and cats, or if there could be exceptions. St. Joseph's creating research 'transition plan' The scientific director and vice-president of research at Lawson, Lisa Porter, left the organization last week. St. Joseph's has refused continuous interview requests from CBC News about its canine testing research and specifics on why it ended the program. In a statement sent to staff and media on Thursday, the hospital said it is "working on a transition plan to minimize the impact on our researchers and their work, which has resulted in major strides in cardiac care and treatment." The statement also said St. Joseph's plans to appoint an independent third party to review its animal-based research and is now turning its attention to in-hospital safety. "In the coming weeks, we will continue to focus on the safety and security of our staff, physicians, researchers, patients, residents and visitors," the statement said. The hospital has refused to answer CBC's questions about whether researchers or staff have received threats and if the hospital has hired any additional security over the last week for this reason. Higher risks for young researchers Adler said on the day he shut down his lab, he destroyed all documents that could identify the student researchers who were part of his canine trials, with both their safety and careers in mind. "If I'm going to be hunted down for my crimes, I intend to do it alone," he said, adding that the Premier's comments could impact other Masters-level researchers around the province. "Imagine a student who's put four years into their PhD and is reluctant to publish a thesis that would name them by name," Adler said. "Their enthusiasm for their work is now tempered by the threat." Adler said that he plans to move testing for his project outside of Ontario, and potentially out of the country, in order to continue developing the important new technology. "Vets have much less technology available to them than human doctors, and they're hungrier for innovation," he said.
