Macrocyclics was founded in 1995 by Professor A. Dean Sherry as a result of his pioneering research in developing macrocyclic ligands for metal ions and their use as MRI contrast media. His groundbreaking work sparked global interest and created a demand for macrocyclic chelating agents, first prepared in the Sherry lab. Due to the challenging nature of the syntheses and purification, Professor Sherry frequently received sample requests from colleagues, which quickly exceeded the capacity of his UTD research lab. This demand led to the founding of “Magnetic Resonance Solutions” in 1993, later renamed Macrocyclics in 1995.

In its early years, the company’s revenue was driven by a small catalog of products and several NIH and SBIR grants. These grants provided critical R&D funding, allowing Macrocyclics to develop new products and intellectual assets that fueled growth in nuclear medicine, where chelating agents are essential for imaging and therapy. The growing customer base expanded the catalog product line and led to increased demand for quality-controlled chelating agents in clinical development programs. This need prompted the launch of cGMP manufacturing services in 2004.

A major milestone occurred in 2009 when Macrocyclics was contracted by Orano Med (formerly AREVA Med) for cGMP manufacturing of a chelating agent used in their Pb-212 clinical trials. Recognizing the synergy between the two organizations, Orano Med acquired Macrocyclics in October 2011. This partnership culminated in the construction of a state-of-the-art facility in Plano, Texas, in April 2016, equipped with advanced chemistry, biology, and radiochemistry labs licensed for popular radionuclides used in PET imaging and therapeutic applications.

Tremendous growth by both Orano Med and Macrocyclics led to the Phase II expansion project of the DDPU in 2019. This expansion doubled the facility’s size to 20,000 square feet and equipped Macrocyclics with two highly modular GMP manufacturing suites and kilo-scale manufacturing equipment, enhancing production capabilities to meet growing demand.

Today, Macrocyclics and it’s chelators are well known by chemists, scientists, and researchers developing targeted radiopharmaceuticals and novel molecular imaging agents. The company has expanded to provide custom synthesis and fill and finish services supporting PET tracers, fluorescent imaging agents, and other small molecule Drug Substances.