The European Investment Bank grants Orano a loan of €125 million to finance Orano Med’s innovations and industrial infrastructure

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Orano announced today the signing of a €125 million credit line to finance the development of Orano Med and its industrial infrastructure, notably the construction of the Advanced Thorium Extraction Facility (ATEF), located in Bessines-sur-Gartempe, France.

Orano Med, a subsidiary of the Orano group specializing in nuclear medicine, develops lead-212-based targeted alpha therapies, a new class of cancer treatments. By using the unique properties of alpha-emitter lead-212, these therapies aim at the targeted destruction of cancer cells, while limiting the impact on surrounding healthy tissue. Orano Med’s clinical pipeline currently comprises four programs, run either independently or with its partners, evaluating these treatments across a wide range of cancer types that represent significant unmet medical needs. The company’s partners include major pharmaceutical groups such as Sanofi and Roche, as well as Swiss biotech Molecular Partners.

ATEF is the world’s first industrial facility dedicated to the large-scale production of thorium-228, a precursor of lead-212, a rare radioisotope used for the development of targeted alpha therapies to fight cancer. Once operational, the facility will allow for supply of all of Orano Med’s pharmaceutical production sites, known as ATLabs (Alpha Therapy Laboratories), where lead-212 targeted alpha therapies will be produced for patients.

The development of targeted alpha therapies and the creation of a dedicated production platform are fully in line with European priorities around healthcare, innovation, and industrial sovereignty. The EIB's financing secures long-term funding for the project, underscoring its strategic importance at the European level.

For the EIB, this is the second loan agreement signed with the Orano group in just over a year. In March 2025, the European Union’s investment bank announced a €400 million loan agreement to finance the expansion of the Georges Besse 2 uranium enrichment plant at Orano’s Tricastin site, France.

Ambroise Fayolle, Vice-President of the EIB, said: “By supporting the development of Orano Med and notably the construction of its industrial infrastructure, the EIB is reaffirming Europe’s commitment to advancing research in healthcare and the development of new cancer therapies, while establishing the industrial capabilities needed to produce these treatments on European territory. Following the financing agreement of the uranium enrichment program concluded last year, this second transaction with the Orano group is also fully in line with the EIB’s priorities: fostering innovation, strengthening the production capacity of strategic European industries, and ensuring the development and manufacturing of cutting-edge technologies in Europe.”

Frédéric Desdouits, CEO of Orano Med, added: “We are very proud to close this loan agreement, which reflects the strategic value of our investment plan dedicated to the development and production of innovative targeted alpha therapies for the treatment of cancer patients. The €125 million EIB financing will contribute to the deployment of our unique industrial platform, with the production of thorium-228, a critical step in the lead-212 therapy supply chain, to be centralized in France.”