Drawing strength from music
When your life is struck by cancer, your priorities change. You realise once again what really matters: time with family and friends. Life. That is exactly what the French singer Alain Souchon sings in his refrain: "Rien ne vaut la vie" - Nothing is worth more than life. For Francis Ligot, these words had poignant significance in his battle with cancer. His brave testimony was a moving reminder of why we built our CRF production facility: for people to donate precious time with their loved ones and provide quality of life. The song was therefore given a central place when the cornerstone was laid. In the form of this soundwave.
« La vie est belle et mérite d'être vécue. » - Francis Ligot
''There are moments in life that you never forget. The birth of a child, professional success, or unexpected moments that indelibly shape our lives... or perhaps the opposite. I remember the year 2013, when my dreams were shattered by a brutal reality. Following a simple blood test, one I took every year, a discrepancy was found in my results. My doctor prescribed an ultrasound scan, and the diagnosis was bleak: a pancreatic tumour that had metastasised in my liver".
When Francis Ligot was diagnosed in 2013, he refused to resign himself to this grim verdict. He battled his cancer for many years with an admirable "joie de vivre". He underwent surgery, was treated with chemotherapy and took every opportunity offered by science. Finally, he agreed - twice - to undergo radioligand therapy with lutetium-177.
He reflected on his therapy:
"Apart from a brief hot flush, a slight reddening of my face when I got the injection and a little tiredness, I didn't experience any adverse effects from the treatment. That's why I readily highlight the benefits of this nuclear therapy, not least the quality of life and comfort it offers and allows you to maintain. Thanks to this nuclear treatment, I could live for several years without any suffering, without debilitating side effects, with much more peace of mind, and leading an almost normal life".
Francis Ligot lost his battle with cancer on 27 May 2025, but his words continue to inspire us every day. They remind us why with preclinical research and production, we strive for broad use of radioligand therapy (RLT).
What is radioligand therapy? How does it work exactly?
Symbolic cornerstone
Relive the moment
It was an honour to get to know Francis Ligot and his family and to reflect together on the words "Rien ne vaut la vie". These words are now immortalised as soundwaves at the entrance hall of our CRF production facility. On 28 November 2023, Francis Ligot and his wife Andrée Thonon unveiled the soundwave in the presence of Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, and Tinne Van der Straeten, then Belgian Minister for Energy.
What will the CRF offer in the fight against cancer?
Medical radioisotopes do not occur in nature; they have to go through a whole production process. With BR2, we have been involved in the first production step for many years. With the CRF, we will provide the next step in the production chain: in other words, we are taking a step closer to the patient.
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1. Irradiation – BR2
At the heart of our BR2 research reactor, we irradiate raw material. During this process, part of the raw material is transformed into the desired medical radioisotope.
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2. Purification – CRF
However, after irradiation, the desired radioisotope is still 'swimming' among the remaining raw material and other isotopes. Using radiochemical techniques, we isolate the radioisotope we need for cancer treatment. We will perform this radiochemical work in the CRF facility.
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3. Transport
Radiopharmaceuticals have two main ingredients: a therapeutic radioisotope and a specially designed carrier molecule to specifically seek out cancer cells. After the CRF, the first main ingredient is already ready to be distributed worldwide.
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4. Linking
Once the radioisotope reaches its destination, a hospital or industrial radiopharmacy puts the finishing touches on it. They link the radioisotope to a carrier molecule.
Reliable supply
Patients need to be certain that their treatment can continue. For that, hospitals must be sure that they can count on a reliable supply of the radioisotope. The CRF will therefore not operate exclusively for BR2, but will also process irradiated feedstock from other reactors. In this way, we are helping ensure the production of medical radioisotopes - even when BR2 is stopped for maintenance.