Western Australia is expected to have its first private sector cyclotron operating by the end of the year following the opening of new facility to produce radioisotopes for medicine in Bayswater.
Cyclowest has recently completed the design, construction and installation process at the new facility, which houses a GE Cyclotron and hotcells (shielded chambers) comprising more than 180 tonnes of material such as lead to contain radiation during the process of radiopharmaceutical production.
The commissioning phase of the new modular radiopharmaceuticals facility is due to start, with the goal of Therapeutic Goods Administration approval later in the year.
The cyclotron will be used to manufacture diagnostic imaging agents for the local market, notably positron emission tomography which is used to visualise bodily changes as part of the diagnosis and treatment of patients, particularly those with brain or heart conditions as well as cancer.
In time, Cyclowest plans to add production of radiopharmaceuticals for therapeutical use.
Cyclowest is chaired by Nat Lenzo, the inaugural head of the state government’s PET/cyclotron service. Dr Lenzo is a clinical professor in medicine at Notre Dame Australia and Curtin Universities and a consultant nuclear medicine physician at Fiona Stanley Hospital.
He also founded Theranostics Australia, now fully owned by GenesisCare, where he remains in the position of group clinical director in theranostics.
The board includes three other doctors Dalveer Singh, Sanjay Sharma and Sanjay Mukhedkar, the latter was the founder of Oncology West, the biggest such practice in WA. Other directors are nuclear medicine scientist Julie Crouch and medical practice executive Angela Whittington.
Cyclowest’s executive is headed by general manager Thomas Tuchyna.
