Melbourne, 6 July 2007
Siemens Medical Solutions has formed a partnership with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) to build a molecular imaging biomarker production facility in Sydney. The new facility will transform the capacity of a number of Australian hospitals to diagnose and treat patients with life-threatening diseases such as lung, breast and prostate cancers, as well as lymphoma, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.
The contract includes the production, installation and management of twin Eclipse HP cyclotrons at the ANSTO site in Sydney’s southern region. The Eclipse cyclotrons will be employed to manufacture FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose), the imaging biomarker used in PET (Positron Emission Tomography) facilities to assist with the diagnosis and staging of disease processes and to monitor cellular response to treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The FDG produced by the twin cyclotrons will also be used by a number of surrounding facilities.
For cancer patients, this will allow for earlier lesion detection and, in the case of multiple cancers, differential diagnosis of primary cancers which is important for treatment and disease management.
The agreement with Siemens, a world-leader in PET production, also provides ANSTO with access to Siemens’ exclusive international imaging biomarker distribution network, PETNET, which is comprised of 46 PET facilities across the globe and is at the leading edge of research into next generation molecular imaging biomarkers.
Albert Goller, Chairman and Managing Director Siemens Australia and New Zealand, said “We are proud that Siemens’ world-class innovation and technology is being used here to improve the overall accuracy and efficacy of medical diagnosis and treatment for Australians. The new cyclotrons will provide more patients with access to the early detection of cancers and disease, which will in turn result in higher rates of recovery and more precise application of medication.
“In addition to these considerable diagnostic and treatment benefits, the cyclotrons will be used in clinical collaborations for the advancement of biomarker research and the production of other imaging biomarkers which may lead to new medical breakthroughs," said Mr Goller.
Michael Reitermann, President Siemens Medical Solutions Molecular Imaging, added "This partnership with ANSTO is reflective of Siemens’ ongoing commitment to enhancing healthcare efficiency through innovative and patient-centered medical engineering and optimised processes. Our focus is on improving the quality of care available to patients, while reducing costs to medical providers.”
Currently, although a number of Australian hospitals have PET facilities, there is a critical lack of the vital imaging biomarker FDG, which, with a half-life of only 110 minutes (losing half its activity every 110 minutes), cannot be imported or transported long distances. There is also a preference by hospitals with in-house cyclotrons to use externally-produced FDG to allow for the continuation of clinical research. In some cases, hospital-based cyclotrons are outmoded and less reliable than newer models.