First Cyclotron Removed from Seneffe Production Facility by SCK CEN
Decommissioning the first step in Telix Pharmaceuticals’ plan to commence production of medical radioisotopes in Europe
MELBOURNE, Australia and BRUSSELS, Belgium, Oct. 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: TLX, ‘Telix’, the ‘Company’) and SCK CEN (the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre) today announce that the first of two cyclotrons has been removed from the Company’s licensed radiopharmaceutical production facility in Brussels (Seneffe), Belgium. This follows the Belgian Agence Fédérale de Contrôle Nucléaire (AFCN) acceptance of Telix’s decommissioning dossier in July,1 submitted with the support of SCK CEN.
The cyclotron – weighing approximately 22 tonnes – was successfully removed by SCK CEN, a leader in nuclear safety and facility decommissioning. The cyclotron was extracted in one piece and will be further dismantled at SCK CEN’s site in Mol, Belgium. This approach is unique, even by international standards. Once the second cyclotron has been removed later this year, Telix will be able to formally commence the build-out of a new state-of-the-art facility for medical radioisotope production and drug product manufacturing.
"Thanks to a collaborative approach and significant local expertise, Telix will be able to move quickly on establishing the functionality of the Seneffe facility, which is good news for the industry and the local area in terms of employment, partnership opportunities, and economic development. The sooner Telix can start production, the sooner these important products can reach cancer patients," stated Michel Estas, decommissioning expert at SCK CEN.
Jérôme Dadoumont, Project Manager at SCK CEN added, "We are trying to recycle – in a cost-effective way – as much material as possible and give it a second useful life. SCK CEN will be dismantling the components and purifying metals chemically or, where that is not viable, taking components for safe storage or disposal. Thanks to previous projects, we have built up extensive experience and have mastered the applicable regulations and techniques. This project will allow us to renew and refine our knowledge.”
Sébastien Linard de Guertechin, General Manager of the Seneffe Facility stated, “Telix is delighted to be working with SCK CEN for the decommissioning. Our close collaboration during the preparation phase confirmed our trust in SCK CEN as an exemplary and highly competent partner to complete such a decommissioning project. We are confident that the removal of this cyclotron will be safely and responsibly handled by SCK CEN. Technical support from Be.Sure, our radioprotection expert, was also a key element of this success.”
Telix Pharmaceuticals, headquartered in Australia with international operations in Belgium, Switzerland, Japan and the United States, acquired the Seneffe site in April 2020.2 The site is expected to serve as Telix’s primary European manufacturing site.
About Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited
Telix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of diagnostic and therapeutic products using Molecularly Targeted Radiation (MTR). Telix is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia with international operations in Belgium, Switzerland, Japan, and the United States. Telix is developing a portfolio of clinical-stage products that address significant unmet medical need in oncology and rare diseases. Telix is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: TLX). For more information visit and follow Telix on (@TelixPharma) and .
Telix’s lead investigational product, Illuccix® (TLX591-CDx) for prostate cancer imaging, has been accepted for filing by the U.S. FDA,3 and is under priority evaluation by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).4 Telix is also progressing marketing authorisation applications for Illuccix® in the European Union5 and Canada.6 None of Telix’s products have received a marketing authorisation in any jurisdiction.
About SCK CEN
Sixty-five years of experience in nuclear research and nuclear technology
SCK CEN is one of the largest research institutions in Belgium. Every day, more than 850 employees dedicate themselves to developing peaceful applications of radioactivity. SCK CEN's research activities focus on three main areas: the safety of nuclear installations, the development of nuclear medicine and protecting people and the environment from ionising radiation. SCK CEN is world-renowned and shares its expertise through countless publications and training courses, so that this pool of exceptional competence can be maintained. For more information, please visit
Telix Media Contact
Dr. Stewart Holmstrom
Director Corporate Communications
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SCK CEN Contact
Wendy De Groote
Communications Officer
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Phone: +32 (0)14 33 21 49
Important Information
This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities in the United States, or in any other jurisdiction in which such an offer would be illegal. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the “U.S. Securities Act”), or under the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States and may not be offered or sold within the United States, unless the securities have been registered under the U.S. Securities Act or an exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act is available. None of the technologies or products described in this document have received a marketing authorisation in any jurisdiction. This announcement has been authorised for release by Dr Christian Behrenbruch, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. The Telix Pharmaceuticals name and logo are trademarks of Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited and its affiliates (all rights reserved).
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1 ASX disclosure 30/07/21.
2 ASX disclosure 3/04/20.
3 ASX disclosure 24/11/20.
4 ASX disclosure 14/04/21.
5 ASX disclosure 1/05/20.
6 ASX disclosure 16/12/20.
