May 28, 2009 - MDS Nordion, a leading global provider of medical isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals used in molecular medicine, today announced the opening of a facility in Fleurus, Belgium for the production of Glucotrace (Fluorodeoxyglucose), a radiopharmaceutical used in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging.
PET imaging produces a three-dimensional image, or picture, of functional processes in the body, such as brain activity, and is a highly accurate and effective method of diagnosing disease and managing patient therapy. MDS Nordion’s new facility will provide timely supply of Glucotrace to hospitals throughout Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany.
According to MDS Nordion President Steve West, the investment in this facility it part of the company’s strategy to meet the growing demand for PET diagnostic imaging in targeted European regions.
The PET imaging market is the most rapidly growing area of nuclear medicine and procedures. Statistics from a recent Medical Options survey indicates PET examinations are on a rapid rise in Europe, and are expected to grow at a compound annual rate of approximately 20 percent through 2012. To help meet increasing demand, this state-of-the-art, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) production facility will have three daily production runs and a customer service team available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"PET imaging is effective because it allows early detection of tumors, as well as assessment of therapeutic strategies," said Professor Roland Hustinx, Nuclear Medicine Department, CHU - Universite de Liege. "In particular, MDS Nordion's new facility will provide another source of supply of Glucotrace to existing and new medical facilities, thereby increasing the ability of health-care practitioners to conduct this critical type of imaging."
For more information: www.mdsinc.com
April 23, 2024 
