The foundation stone for a new radiopharmaceutical laboratory was laid at a ceremony held at the Tech-Campus Seibersdorf on November 7, 2024. This major investment by Seibersdorf Labor GmbH will create one of the largest production facilities in Europe for special pharmaceuticals that are needed in cancer therapy and diagnosis.
Over the next year and a half, a new laboratory and production building for the international contract manufacturing of radiopharmaceuticals will be constructed at the Seibersdorf Tech-Campus. The start of construction was celebrated on November 7, 2024 with a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony.
Christoph Kainz, member of the state parliament, spoke on behalf of Governor Mickl-Leitner about the importance of the Tech-Campus Seibersdorf as one of the most important and traditional research and development sites in Lower Austria. Markus Neumann, Managing Director of Seibersdorf Labor GmbH, and Alexander Svejkovsky, Managing Director of the parent company AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, emphasized the forward-looking significance of the major investment of 14 million euros, which represents an important sign of confidence in economically and politically tense times. Roland Müller, head of radiopharmaceuticals and future “host” of the new laboratory, thanked his team and all external parties involved for their cooperation during the several years of preparation for the construction project.
Radiopharmaceuticals have been produced at the Seibersdorf site for over 50 years. Almost 25 years ago, the first cyclotron in Austria that was not dedicated to purely scientific purposes was put into operation at the Seibersdorf site. The new building that is now being constructed will house one of the largest radiopharmaceutical production facilities in Europe, ensuring the supply of radiopharmaceuticals to patients not only in Austria but also throughout Europe. The company works closely with pharmaceutical companies worldwide and, as a CDMO (contract development and manufacturing organization), produces radiopharmaceutical products.
Radiopharmaceuticals enable personalized medicine, both examinations and therapies can be carried out with very high precision. An important area of application for radiopharmaceuticals is prostate cancer. At 25%, this is the most common cancer in men in Austria. There are currently over 65,000 sufferers in Austria. In this field, the Seibersdorf team produces radiopharmaceuticals for clinical studies.
Further targets for radiopharmaceuticals are tumors in the breast, liver and brain. Radiopharmaceuticals for pancreatic carcinomas, which are among the deadliest of all carcinomas, are also currently being tested in clinical studies. Every year, research institutes develop new radiopharmaceuticals, which are then manufactured under the strictest quality standards at the Seibersdorf site for clinical use.