Newcastle Set To Benefit From New Technology to Diagnose Disease

• Newcastle University has entered into a lease agreement with Curium for a new site dedicated to the manufacture of cutting-edge diagnostic technologies for diseases such as cancer.
• The facility will be operated by Curium, a world-leading nuclear medicine group with decades of expertise.
• The new manufacturing site is expected to provide Radioisotopes for PET scans and increase access to patients who require neuroimaging or cancer diagnosis.
  

NEWCASTLE, United Kingdom, Oct. 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Newcastle University is opening a new site to manufacture cutting-edge diagnosis technology. The facility will supply positron emission tomography (PET) tracers, an essential part of the process to diagnose diseases like cancer.

PET tracers are short-lived radioactive substances used in medical imaging. They accumulate in specific tissues according to physiological processes – such as glucose metabolism, receptor expression or blood flow - enabling physicians to detect cancers and other serious medical conditions with exceptional sensitivity.

Newcastle University has partnered with Curium, a world-leading nuclear medicine group, to establish the facility and have it operational by mid-2026. The Newcastle facility is expected to be able to provide capacity to supply all of the PET/CT scanners in the northeast of England for patients who require neuroimaging or cancer diagnosis.

The city and surrounding area are among a number of parts of the country where patients have less access to certain types of scans used in the NHS. Access to the right tests is a critical part of a patient’s journey from diagnosis to treatment and then recovery, with regional differences in services leaving people in many areas with longer to travel or limited ability to get checked.

In the past decade, Curium has significantly invested in PET capacity across England, helping to expand access to scans at over 25 sites.

Ruairi O’Donnell, General Manager UK & Ireland, Curium International, said: “Curium is proud to have played a part in the past decade in expanding access to essential tests for more people. Nuclear technology plays a vital role in helping doctors to diagnose disease, and crucially, it has the potential to transform cancer treatment for up to 80% of cancers in the next 10-15 years.

“Our investment in Newcastle, alongside other parts of the country, is a clear commitment from Curium that we are determined to increase access further and we’re proud to partner with the NHS to deliver on that goal. As ministers work to reform the NHS, it is vital that they build in maximum possible capacity for PET scans to patients which may mean using multiple suppliers for maximum reach.”

Professor Quentin Anstee, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Newcastle University, said: “This partnership with Curium brings further leading-edge care, research and innovation to the region. As part of our commitment to creating a world in which we all live better, for longer, we’re always looking to develop faster diagnosis and treatment for patients. This collaboration reflects our ongoing mission to translate research into real-world healthcare impact.” 

The new site in Newcastle comes alongside a deal signed last year by Curium to boost supply of PET tracers in Oxford, with the southwest of England being another underserved part of the country for diagnostics.

The two additional facilities follow the company’s existing Hammersmith site in the west of the capital, serving the Greater London area.

About Curium

Curium Pharma is a leading global radiopharmaceutical company with proven expertise in the development, manufacturing and supply of radiopharmaceuticals that transform the way cancer is diagnosed and treated. Headquartered in Boston with offices around the world, Curium’s mission is to find new and better ways to diagnose and treat cancer.

With a global footprint that extends to more than 70 countries, a skilled and dedicated team of over 5,000 employees, and four manufacturing sites, Curium is uniquely qualified to meet the significant supply and distribution of established products that underlie success in the radiopharmaceuticals market. Curium’s global leadership is embodied in a diverse and extensive portfolio of over 45 products, that advance patient care for a wide range of cancers.

Curium’s pioneering legacy in nuclear medicine is the foundation of the company’s dedication to innovation and portfolio expansion to cancer therapeutics, particularly in neuroendocrine tumours and with a late-stage pipeline exploring opportunities in prostate cancer.

To learn more, visit www.curiumpharma.com.

About Newcastle University

Newcastle University, UK, is a thriving international community of more than 28,000 students from over 130 countries worldwide.

As a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities in the UK, Newcastle has a world-class reputation for research excellence in the fields of medicine, science and engineering, social sciences and the humanities.

The Faculty of Medical Sciences research institutions are vibrant, multi-disciplinary academic communities with researchers from a diverse range of disciplines and specialisms, with the ultimate aim of improving health and healthcare, and reducing health inequalities.

Its academics are sharply focused on responding to the major challenges facing society today. Research and teaching are world-leading in areas as diverse as health, culture, technology and the environment.

Newcastle is committed to providing students with excellent, research-led teaching delivered by dedicated and passionate teachers. 

Inquiries:
Curium Group
Camilla Campell
VP, Head of Global Communications
Camilla.campbell@curiumpharma.com

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