CPDC joins forces with the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council

As Canada strives to maintain a leadership position in science and technology, the Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization (CPDC), located at McMaster University, has partnered with the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council (CNIC) to ensure Canada remains at the forefront of medical isotope R&D and production, and to advocate for continued investment to ensure we maintain Canada’s global leadership in this field.

The CPDC was founded in 2008 as a Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR), specializing in radiopharmaceutical research, development and manufacturing. Since its inception, CPDC has gained global recognition as a leading radiopharmaceutical organization, developing and providing products for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as cancer, locally, nationally, and internationally. To date, CPDC’s products have helped diagnose and treat over 75,000 patients.

“The CNIC is creating a unified voice that is bringing attention to the work being done in the medical isotope industry in Canada,” said Joe McCann, President and CEO of CPDC. “Advancement and investment in this area has a direct benefit to Canadian cancer patients who rely daily on the supply of medical isotopes to hospitals across the country. We are incredibly pleased to join this group and we are excited to join it in bringing recognition to the incredible work being done in radioisotope and radiopharmaceutical R&D and commercialisation in Canada.”

Radiopharmaceuticals are a special class of drugs used for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, such as cancer, Dr. McCann added. Diagnostic drugs target disease and deliver isotopes that emit photons to ‘light up’ the disease to help doctors diagnose and stage patients. Radiotherapeutics target the disease and deliver precise, cell-killing radiation that spares normal healthy tissue, and clears rapidly from blood and tissues.

“The CPDC works with partners, such as the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research and Prostate Cancer Canada, to develop diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals for clinical trials, keeping Canada at the forefront of radiopharmaceutical research and development. “Canada has long been a historical leader in isotope production and has fostered an innovative industry that has saved millions of lives around the world.”

Isotopes are the foundation to advance research for improved drug discovery and development, said James Scongack, Chair of the CNIC. “Isotopes are our pathway to personalized medicine – enabling health-care professionals to improve lives through targeted imaging and therapy, thereby providing medical diagnosis and treatment specific to an individual,” Scongack said. “This field of targeted radiotherapeutics could be transformative for both the Canadian and global health care sectors, which is why we are delighted to have CPDC become a member of the CNIC and partner with us on our advocacy initiatives.”

The world has come to depend on a commitment that every Canadian government has supported for over 50 years, Scongack added. “Retaining a secure supply of isotopes and infrastructure in Canada will

allow us to maintain a leading position in the development of new nuclear medicine technologies, benefitting both Canadians and the advancement of science. This also fits with the federal government’s announced strategy of building up our science and technology capabilities.”

About the Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization

Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization (CPDC) is a Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) located at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. CPDC is a private, not-for-profit company and global leader in the discovery, development and commercialization of next generation radiopharmaceuticals that was created with the support of multiple stakeholders, including the Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) and the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR). Since its foundation in 2008, CPDC has established a robust and reliable global supply of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals used daily for the detection and treatment of human diseases such as cancer.

To learn more about CPDC visit:
www.imagingprobes.ca.

Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization
Angela Laurentani
905 525 9140 ext. 21212
cpdc@imagingprobes.ca