On 1st March, we had the pleasure to welcome representatives from regional institutions and local community, as well as Novartis and Advanced Accelerator Applications Molecular Imaging leaders, to visit the state-of-the-art manufacturing site in Salamanca, Spain, and appreciate the progress on the construction works.
The new facility will produce radioactive diagnostic products used in Oncology and Neurology, including advanced products like prostate cancer tracers and neuro tracers used in Alzheimer Disease. It is expected to start production at the beginning of 2025, subject to local regulatory and compliance requirements, and will potentially employ up to 20 highly specialized staff, as well as provide indirectly further positive economic opportunities for the local community, once fully operational.
From left to right: Carlos García Cabayo, mayor of Salamanca; Eloy Ruiz, Delegate of the Salamanca Board; Javier Iglesias, President of the Provincial Council; Caio Kugelmas, Managing Director of Molecular Imaging; Cristina Novo, Site Manager of Advanced Accelerator Applications in Salamanca; Jesús Ponce, President of the Novartis Group in Spain; Natividad Calvente, Director of Corporate Affairs at Novartis Spain; Victoria Manjón, mayor of Castellanos de Moriscos; Esther Espinosa, Director of Communication and Patient Relations at Novartis Spain; Carlos Fernández, Minister of Economy and Finance; and Silvia Fernández, General Director of Health Care and Humanization.
This investment complements the current manufacturing network in Spain – already present in Murcia and in Espluges near Barcelona – allowing to serve hospitals in Castilla & Leon and the north-west of Spain (Madrid, Asturias, Galicia), as well as potentially in Portugal, due to its proximity to the border. PET radiopharmaceuticals have a short life of 110 minutes since production, in the case of radiolabels Fluor-18. “More than 2 million people will potentially benefit from the close availability of radiopharmaceutical imaging products that are critical for the diagnosis and staging of oncology patients, and can be further used in neurology and cardiology, as precision diagnostic agents for early Alzheimer’s Disease, and for heart attacks (Myocardial infarction),” explains Jose Antonio Sanchez, Commercial Head for Molecular Imaging in Spain.
Caio Kugelmas, Managing Director of Advanced Accelerator Applications Molecular Imaging, who was present at the inaugural event, reflected on the importance of the facility as part of the manufacturing capability expansion to reach more patients: “The Salamanca site is a part of our growth strategy as we reinforce our presence in Spain and in Europe overall as a trusted leader in developing, manufacturing and supplying radiopharmaceuticals for PET scans. Proximity to hospitals is a critical factor in our business and we are happy to further support the innovative research in Spanish university hospitals in the growing field of Nuclear Medicine.”