The center will be equipped with a Cyclone^® KIUBE offering the highest production capacity with a PET cyclotron.

Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium, October 4, 2022 – IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A., EURONEXT), the world leader in particle accelerator technology and the world’s leading provider of radiopharmaceutical production solutions, Novatec International and ElsMed Healthcare Solutions, the leading Israeli medical-technological company, announced today that they have signed a contract for the installation of an integrated radiopharmaceutical production facility in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The project will be the first of its kind in Georgia and includes the construction of an ultra-modern radiopharmaceutical facility equipped with the latest technologies such as the IBA’s Cyclone^® KIUBE and Synthera^®+ platform. The center will produce various types of radiopharmaceutical products and is expected to start operations in 2024.

The design, construction, operation, and production processes of the facility will be developed in line with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standards and recommendations from IBA, as well as meeting set requirements defined by the legislation of Georgia.

The General Director of Novatec International, Giorgi Glonti, commented: “This unique project for an on-site production facility for radiopharmaceutical compounds will significantly boost the development of nuclear medicine in the country of Georgia. This initiative will also contribute to increasing the availability of Positron-Emission Computed Tomography (PET-CT) for a wider population. The facility will be able to fully cover the current and future demand of the Georgian market, both in terms of production and delivery of fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) as well as other artificial radioactive isotopes.”

“Nowadays, radiopharmacies need to produce an increasing amount of FDG in a limited time frame, in addition to producing numerous other compounds. The Cyclone^® KIUBE is the perfect solution providing the ability to produce the widest range of radioisotopes and covers all the needs of PET radiopharmacies,” said Bruno Scutnaire, President of IBA RadioPharma Solutions.

Hen Lederman, General Manager of the ElsMed Healthcare Solutions added: “We are pleased to participate in a such unique and useful project. Our joint efforts will have a significantly positive effect in the fight against cancer in Georgia, with ElsMed being additionally involved in the facility design and training of necessary personnel, in cooperation with leading nuclear medicine centers in Israel, and will provide continuous support until project completion.”