PETNET construction go-ahead.

The licence to construct a new nuclear medicine production facility, consisting of two state-of-the-art medical cyclotrons, was granted to ANSTO this week by the nuclear regulator ARPANSA. Construction aims to be complete by April 2009.

The new facility promises to substantially increase the availability of the latest in disease diagnosis and treatment to Australians.

Last year the Federal Government announced a $10 million strategic partnership between ANSTO and global medical giant, Siemens Medical Solutions, to build the facility which will provide radiopharmaceuticals to revolutionary life-saving PET[1] facilities in New South Wales.

PET is a state-of-the-art nuclear medicine diagnostic technique which has produced significant advances in the diagnosis of cancer and other major medical conditions as it allows doctors to see disease at its earliest stage and precisely monitor treatment. It is the fastest growing medical diagnostic imaging technique in the world and its use has grown globally by 200 per cent in the last three years.

The deal also gives ANSTO access to Siemens? exclusive international PET radiopharmaceuticals network (PETNET) which consists of over 50 PETNET centres that enable hospitals to diagnose and treat patients and supporting institutions to undertake research into next generation radiopharmaceuticals.

The contract with Siemens will allow ANSTO to build twin cyclotrons at its site in Sydney?s south and produce the short-lived radiopharmaceutical FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose) used in PET scanning.

FDG has a half-life of 110 minutes meaning that it loses half of its activity every 110 minutes. This means this radiopharmaceutical cannot be imported. PET facilities use hospital-based cyclotrons or an outside supplier to produce FDG for a restricted number of patients. The new facility will make FDG available to the wider community.

Having two cyclotrons will allow the consistent and reliable supply of FDG to patients.