Filter News

Cardinal Health, Inc. Acquires Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Radiopharmaceutical Production Facilities

Published: Jul 06, 2006

DUBLIN, Ohio, July 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cardinal Health, Inc. , the leading provider of products and services supporting the health-care industry, today announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire five PET radiopharmaceutical production facilities and manage a sixth site to create a more efficient approach to the manufacture and distribution of PET radiopharmaceuticals.

Cardinal Health will acquire facilities in Newark, N.J., Dallas, Texas, Memphis, Tenn., Birmingham, Ala. and Columbus, Ohio formerly owned by Regional Nuclear Pharmaceuticals (RNP). A management agreement will be put in place at a sixth site in Jackson, Miss., which was formerly managed by RNP. Through the agreement, Cardinal Health will gain ownership of five cyclotrons and related lab equipment to produce fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) - the primary radiopharmaceutical used in PET diagnostic imaging. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Cardinal Health has been the distributor of the FDG produced at these sites but, through the agreement, will now have complete control of the manufacturing process. Cardinal Health expects to provide additional investment to upgrade the facilities and improve the consistency of service provided to PET imaging centers in these six regions. Cardinal Health currently owns and operates fifteen other FDG production facilities located throughout the U.S. and more than 158 nuclear pharmacies, 80 of which distribute radiopharmaceuticals for PET imaging.

"We continue to look for new ways to create efficiencies in the health care supply chain and improve service for our customers," said Michael Mullin, vice president of Nuclear Manufacturing Services for Cardinal Health. "This investment will enable a more streamlined approach to deliver the highest level of quality and service to the PET imaging centers supported by our nationwide network."

As a leader in the nuclear pharmacy industry, Cardinal Health delivers time-critical unit doses of FDG each day across the country in its patented PETPig(TM) safety device and supports its customers with the exclusive PET Foundations(SM) marketing and education program designed to help grow patient volumes in local communities. PET imaging is primarily used in the earlier diagnosis, staging and treatment monitoring of cancer, and the technology is expanding for use as a differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease and definitive cardiac assessment.

About Cardinal Health

Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health, Inc. is a $75 billion, global company serving the health-care industry with a broad portfolio of products and services. Through its diverse offering, Cardinal Health delivers integrated health-care solutions that help customers reduce their costs, improve efficiency and deliver better care to patients. The company manufactures, packages and distributes pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, offers a range of clinical services and develops automation products that improve the management and delivery of supplies and medication for hospitals, physician offices and pharmacies. Ranked No. 19 on the Fortune 500, Cardinal Health employs more than 55,000 people on six continents. More information about the company may be found at www.cardinalhealth.com.

Cardinal Health, Inc.

CONTACT: Media, Troy Kirkpatrick, +1-614-757-6225, ortroy.kirkpatrick@cardinal.com, or Investors, Jason Strohm, +1-614-757-7542,or jason.strohm@cardinal.com, both of Cardinal Health, Inc.

Back to news