7
What are the main benefits of Australia having the new OPAL research reactor?
Australians will continue to benefit from the availability of the full range of reactor-produced medical radioisotopes. Sales of ANSTO's radiopharmaceuticals were valued at over $20 million in 2004-05, with about $17 million of this being reactor-sourced and the remainder cyclotron-sourced. This is anticipated to continue increasing. It is estimated that, on average, every Australian will have a nuclear medicine procedure using a reactor-produced radioisotope in their lifetime. This trend is likely to increase as current research is discovering more and more radioisotopes that have the potential to both diagnose and treat diseases such as cancer. For instance, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first in a new class of drugs that attach antibodies to radioisotopes. ANSTO and Sirtex Medical Limited together produce a revolutionary new system of treating secondary liver cancers, involving microspheres which contain a dose of a radioactive isotope. Called SIR-Spheres, this treatment successfully gained approval for marketing in the US, opening up a new export opportunity for Australian medical technology. ANSTO is also involved in clinical trials of other potential new therapeutic and diagnostic agents here in Australia. In 2004, there were over 90 clinical trials throughout the USA researching the potential of therapeutic radiopharmaceutical agents with applications in nuclear medicine, and a number of new therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals are close to approval for routine patient use.
The capabilities of OPAL will ensure that ANSTO researchers are at the cutting edge of research into this new generation of radiopharmaceuticals, as well as ensuring that Australia will have the means to produce, and ensure access to, these new medicines for all Australians.
ANSTO will also be able to continue its support of the Australian manufacturing, minerals and agricultural industries. For example, it was estimated some years ago that the estimated gross benefit of this support to the minerals industry exceeds $100 million annually.
OPAL will facilitate research and development relating to, for example; polymers, ceramics and other new materials. It will also assist with problems in: life sciences and biotechnology; nanotechnology; understanding complex industrial processes; advanced therapeutic treatment with radiopharmaceuticals; and advanced environmental management processes. Thus it will support Australia's health system, as well as our manufacturing, minerals, petrochemical, pharmaceuticals and information science industries, amongst others.
A modern research reactor will also attract regional and other foreign scientists to work in Australia and allow Australian scientists enhanced reciprocal access to complementary, first-class research facilities around the world.
HIFAR was used by university staff and post-graduate researchers from 37 universities in Australia and New Zealand each year, as well as by ANSTO's own research staff. OPAL will enable students in the future to have access to modern facilities that will produce even greater benefits for university research and training.