Moffitt Cancer Center is advancing plans for a radiopharmaceutical cancer-treatment hub at its 775-acre Speros campus in Land O' Lakes. The campus has more than $600 million in active construction projects, while the newer radiopharmaceutical initiative has not disclosed committed capital or a development budget.
The cancer center formally launched the Moffitt Radiopharmaceutical Program on Aug. 25, an interdisciplinary effort to accelerate research, clinical translation and manufacturing of next-generation cancer therapies at the Speros site off Ridge Road, east of the Suncoast Parkway.
"Moffitt is in a unique position to lead in radiopharmaceuticals, and we are investing in the talent and infrastructure to solidify it as a strategic priority," Moffitt President and CEO Patrick Hwu said in a news release announcing the program.
Two leaders will co-direct the effort: Ghassan El-Haddad, vice chair of radiopharmaceutical and nuclear oncology, overseeing clinical strategy, and Josh Carpenter, president of Speros and Moffitt's chief integration officer, overseeing strategic and executive operations. Ivis Chaple, director of radioisotope research and development, will oversee cyclotron facility operations and Moffitt's isotope portfolio, according to Becker's Oncology.
New research facility takes shape at Speros campus
Moffitt's Discovery & Innovation Center is a 250,000-square-foot research facility planned as part of Speros' first phase. The center will include research space, wet labs, conference rooms and collaborative workspaces.
FORGE has proposed an Integrated Theranostics Center for radioisotope production and translational research, but its announcements say the planned programs and investments will proceed as funding and support are secured. No construction schedule for that center has been announced.
Radiopharmaceuticals pair radioactive material with treatments designed to find and bind to tumors, delivering radiation at the cellular level. Because the isotopes decay immediately after production, treatment production needs to be close to patients in controlled environments.
FORGE coalition builds regional workforce pipeline
The program ties into the Florida Oncology and Radiopharmaceutical Growth Engine (FORGE), which launched in May with Moffitt, Speros, the University of South Florida, Pasco-Hernando State College and startup accelerator Embarc Collective. FORGE projects 4,000 high-wage jobs and $2.6 billion in statewide economic impact over the next decade; those figures are coalition projections, not committed investment or announced hiring.
Tampa Bay Business & Wealth reported Aug. 20 that the coalition had not disclosed committed private investment, public subsidies, federal or state grants, or companies preparing to establish operations at Speros.
Pasco-Hernando State College is planning imaging-technologist training programs, while USF is planning nuclear pharmacy opportunities, according to the FORGE announcement.
At the campus grand opening on Jan. 9, Pasco Economic Development Council President and CEO Bill Cronin told WUSF the scale was unprecedented: "When you have 775 acres of development, that's twice the size of downtown Tampa, so we're literally building a city that's all about curing cancer and life sciences."
Speros development targets 2028 completion
Speros' initial development phase is scheduled for completion in 2028. It includes the outpatient center, proton therapy center, 250,000-square-foot Discovery & Innovation Center, new infrastructure and an expanding partner ecosystem. WUSF also reported that the phase includes a Cryogene biorepository.
