Sirtex to manufacture isotopes in US

Sydney biomedical company Sirtex Medical Ltd (ASX:SRX) has announced it has purchased a US manufacturing site in Wilmington, Massachusetts, at a cost of US$990,000, funded though a mortgage over the property.

Sirtex will install a purpose-built 'hot cell' containment facility at the new site to handle the radioactive materials used for manufacturing its lead product, SIR-spheres, which deliver radiation in situ to treat liver cancer.

It has been producing SIR-spheres for the North American market at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation's atomic reactor at Lucas Heights, in Sydney.

It says the Wilmington plant will eliminate the logistical problems associated with flying therapeutic radioisotopes across the Pacific to supply the northern hemisphere market - the short half life of the radioisotopes give SIR-spheres a shelf life of only three days.

The Wilmington plant will have the capacity to manufacture enough SIR-spheres for the entire world market.