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Health products customer update archive

Archive

Please see below details of previously published customer updates from our Health products team. 

If you have any further questions please email health@ansto.gov.au. 

Customer updates archive

Tc-99m Generators

1 May

Yesterday's dispense of Generators containing imported Mo-99 has not passed our quality assurance testing. Patient safety comes first, and for this reason, Generator orders due for delivery this Sunday, 2 May, will not be fulfilled.

What we're doing
Overnight, our Health team has utilised an alternative residual supply of Mo-99 to enable the distribution of Generators to suitable customers today, 1 May.

Although this week we are operating with a smaller supply than usual because the Mo-99 did not pass quality assurance, the next Generator deliveries will take place on Wednesday 5 May and, in line with our OPAL reactor recommending operation, local supply will recommence from this coming Friday 7 May. 

Customer Service is contacting those impacted and prioritising deliveries in line with activity requirements and locations.

We will confirm with you once we return to our regular supply schedule.

OPAL & product supply

28 April

ANSTO is pleased to announce that yesterday, 27 April, ARPANSA approved the engineering solution proposed by ANSTO for our OPAL reactor. Work has commenced, and we anticipate the reactor will resume operations in the next two days. This means the local supply of nuclear medicine will soon resume.

Product supply

Australian supplies of nuclear medicine are in place for this week up until Sunday 3 May. View full details of product supply below. 
There may be some interruptions early next week as we transition from international to local supply, which could result in some changes to activity and day of delivery.

As always, we will work with international and local partners to minimise any impact and proactively reach out via the customer services team to provide details to those affected.

Tc-99m Generators

  • Full supply week commencing 26 April, including Sunday 2 May
  • There may be minor disruption to supply and activity early next week and we will be in contact with those customers to discuss the situation 
  • We are anticipating a return to normal supply from Sunday 9 May 

Iodine-131

  • Full supply for the weeks commencing 26 April and 3 May

Chromium - 51

  • Orders for 01 June calibration are available for delivery from 17 May 

Lutetium-177 

  • Product continues to be available

21 April

Product supply

ANSTO is pleased to announce that it has secured supply from our international partners for this week and next

Due to differences in imported product and delivery schedules, some customers may experience changes in their day of delivery or activity. Customer Service will be in contact ahead of delivery to notify each site of any variations.

As always, deliveries are highly dependent on supply status and inbound international flights. We continue to monitor the situation, and if anything changes, we will notify you as a priority. 

Thank you for your continued understanding.

OPAL update

As per our update last week, ANSTO has submitted an application to ARPANSA and will provide an update next week regarding when we expect to put an engineering solution in place and normal operations to resume.

 

15 April 

The current status of specific medicine supplies is as follows:

  • All of the sites that missed last week’s Generator deliveries were priority for deliveries this week, and will have received an imported generator by this Friday 16 April  
  • Our nuclear medicine processing and distribution facility sterilisation process fix remains on track, and we are targeting resumption of normal supply by mid-next week
  • Supplies of Lu-177, I-123 MIBG and Radiochemical, and Cold Kits are not impacted
  • ANSTO supplies Chromium 51 (Cr-51) once per month with the next batch available in May
  • Supply of Iodine-131 capsules and small solutions will be available for calibration 19 and 26 April and 3 May
  • At this stage, Iodine-131 bulk solutions will be unavailable for calibration 3 May

ANSTO will be proactively updating our website and our customers as more information about nuclear medicine supplies becomes available. 

OPAL:

ANSTO have identified the main engineering and regulatory solutions, with a small number of additional matters under consideration ahead of a submission to the independent nuclear regulator, ARPANSA.  

We expect to submit the ARPANSA application early next week and will provide an update then about when we expect - subject to ARPANSA approval - to put the engineering solution in place, and normal operations to resume.

 

9 April

Despite there being a shortage of Generator supply for specific days and activities, ANSTO endeavours to supply all customers with at least one Generator over the week commencing Monday 12 April.
 
Working with key members of the Nuclear Medicine Working Group, we have agreed that the priority is to serve the highest proportion of the Australian population to balance that with the challenge of geographical distance and regional flight times.
 
Our priorities for Generators due for delivery from 12 April will be:

  • Radio pharmacies
  • Public hospitals, particularly those in regional centres
  • Regional clinics

Deliveries from Wednesday 14 April will focus on metropolitan areas that have not received nuclear medicine supply. ANSTO has secured a new delivery from Thursday 15 April, focusing on customers who have not received any product.

We continue to work with our international suppliers and logistics partners. All planned deliveries are still highly dependent on continued product availability and flight availability. ANSTO continues to monitor this situation.
 
Customer Service is contacting sites to inform them of expected delivery dates, given these will vary from standard orders.
 
We appreciate the patience being shown and understand the impact this is having on our customers and their patients.

 

7 April

ANSTO's OPAL temporary shutdown recovery is running to plan. At this stage, we anticipate OPAL will be back online from the week commencing 19 April; however, late yesterday, we experienced an issue with the sterilisation process of Gentech Generators within our Nuclear Medicine Processing and Distribution Facility.

We are currently assessing the situation and will provide updates as soon as information becomes available. All information on product supply is below. 

Supply 

The supply of Iodine, Lutetium, and Chromium is unchanged in line with our update on 30 March. Gentech Generator supply will be affected. All product information is available below.
 
Gentech Generators

  • There will no supply for the rest of this week.
  • As a priority, we have worked overnight with our international suppliers and logistics partners to secure imported Generators and expect a limited supply to arrive in Sydney on 11 April.
  • We are liaising with the Nuclear Medicine Working Group to prioritise the delivery schedule, with deliveries recommencing on Monday 12 April and Tuesday 13 April, depending on location.
  • Customer Service will contact each site as a priority from 12pm AEST Thursday 8 April as international supply details are confirmed.
  • We appreciate the challenges our customers and their patients may experience.

Iodine-131 

  • Thank you to customers who submitted advanced orders for the weeks commencing 29 March and 5 April.
  • ANSTO has secured additional iodine-131 for domestic orders in the week commencing 5 April.
  • Due to logistics, 12 April calibration is expected to be available from 8 April. 

 Lutetium-177

  • Supply is being imported, so delivery days may vary.
  • Our Customer Service team will contact customers impacted. 

Chromium-51  

  • Due to OPAL being offline, chromium-51 will be unavailable for 1 April calibration. 
  • We anticipate 1 May calibration will be available towards the end of April. 
  • These dates will be communicated to customers as soon as we have confirmation on the status of OPAL. 

OPAL technical update

Pending feedback from our regulators, we anticipate OPAL will return to power on the week commencing 19 April.

Temporary interruption to OPAL

19 March

The OPAL reactor remains in a safe shutdown state following a delay in returning to normal operations after routine maintenance. Engineers are working to restore operations as soon as possible.  

Product supply 

There will be minimal or no impact on customers receiving nuclear medicine products through to 28 March. From 29 March, ANSTO aims to secure nuclear medicine product from international partners to 12 April. We will continue this arrangement beyond this time if required. 

We'll be in touch 

Customer Service will contact customers from 22 March to discuss supply. Whilst ANSTO endeavours to maintain supply, please expect some variation due to import logistics. We apologise for the impact this may cause. 

Scheduled maintenance postponed 

ANSTO will postpone scheduled maintenance on our nuclear medicine processing and distribution facility following discussions with the Nuclear Medicine Working Group. Scheduled maintenance is essential, and we will reschedule this program of work to occur soon, in consultation with our customers and international partners.

Further information

OPAL plays a critically important role in supporting Australian health and our industry and research partners and as you would expect has a rigorous maintenance schedule.   

The OPAL reactor experienced a power interruption when returning to normal operations following its latest routine maintenance shutdown. Engineers are working to fully understand the cause and initial investigations show it is linked to the automatic shutdown system.  

ANSTO has reached out to partners in the global nuclear medicine community to keep them appraised of the situation. 

Scheduled maintenance in 2021

15 February

Scheduled maintenance will take place at ANSTO’s nuclear medicine processing and distribution facility and OPAL in 2021. During this shutdown, the work will enable safe operations and reliable supply of nuclear medicines for Australia.

Dates of maintenance were discussed with the nuclear medicine community and are expected to have a reduced customer impact.

Shutdown dates
  • Nuclear medicine processing and distribution facility: 29 March-5 May. The more extended schedule for preventative maintenance for building 23 results from the postponement in 2020 due to restrictions related to COVID-19. 
  • OPAL reactor: 19 June-18 July.
Product availability

See product availability through these dates here.

ANSTO will be working closely with members of the Nuclear Medicine Working Group on alternate supply arrangements for Iodine-131 and will continue to partner with international organisations to provide continuity of other nuclear medicine supply.

As part of the Australian Government’s commitment to the nuclear medicine community, ANSTO will ensure the $3.7 million of incremental costs associated with importing product will be absorbed, and not passed on to our customers.

Next steps

Over the coming weeks, Customer Service will work with you to plan the orders you need in advance to minimise the impact on your business. More information on product supply be available on our website in the week commencing 22 February.

Thank you to the Nuclear Medicine Advisory Board and Working Group, with representation from RAINS, ANZSNM, AANMS, NSW Health, TGA and GMS, who have supported the importance of scheduled maintenance to help the long-term reliability of supply.

Gentech® Tc-99m Generator supply

5 February

ANSTO is pleased to inform, the production of Gentech Generators is on schedule to recommence on Sunday, 7 February.

As per ANSTO’s last update on 3 February, the required replacement autoclave has been installed and commissioned. Final validation will take place tomorrow, 6 February.

ANSTO wishes to thank the Nuclear Medicine Working Group members for their input and our customers and their patients for their understanding.

Further updates will be available Monday, 8 February.

3 February

ANSTO has experienced an equipment failure impacting Tc-99m Generator delivery from Thursday 4 February. 

The equipment piece causing the disrupt is an autoclave, which provides terminal sterilisation of the Tc-99m column. It is critical in producing a sterile product.  

While ANSTO replaces the autoclave, we anticipate there will be between a one to five-day delay in Generator delivery depending on ordering patterns. We apologise for the disruption this causes our customers and patients, and we aim to be back in production as soon as it is safe to do so.

Customer Service is contacting customers impacted by this disruption directly, and ANSTO will provide a further update on Tc-99m Generator production status on Friday 5 February.

24 January

ANSTO’s nuclear medicine processing facility, also known as Building 23, has experienced a temporary interruption that will impact Technetium-99 Gentech® Generators' supply from Sunday, January 24, 2021.

The interruption was experienced in the Gentech® liquid waste management system, a key part of our manufacturing process. There have been no safety impacts on workers, and the remainder of ANSTO’s normal operations are unaffected.

At this stage, we anticipate supply of generators will be able to resume from week beginning the 1 February, and we will continue to keep the nuclear medicine community and other key stakeholders informed. 

We appreciate the disruption this will cause to our customers and their patients, and our priority is to recommence our normal, safe production as soon as possible.
 
Customer Service will contact each customer from today, Sunday 24 January, and can be reached on 1800 251 572 for any additional information. 

OPAL reactor and product supply

1 December 2020

The OPAL reactor returned to power yesterday evening, with nuclear medicine production expected to recommence today, 1 December. 

Background

During the scheduled November maintenance shut-down of OPAL, we identified an additional maintenance requirement. ANSTO extended the shut-down to allow for further testing and consultation with the independent nuclear regulator, ARPANSA; both of which are now complete.

Supply

ANSTO continues to work with overseas suppliers to ensure continuity of supply for Australian patients and we are pleased to confirm we have an additional supply of Iodine-131. See the updated delivery schedule below.

Iodine-131

Calibrations for week commencing 7 December will run as per below schedule. Calibrations for the week starting 14 December and 21 December will be available in line with our regular schedule.

Monday 7 December calibration
DeliveryOrder cut-off (AEDT)
Tuesday 8 DecemberMonday 7 December 1 pm
Wednesday 9 DecemberTuesday 8 December 1 pm
Thursday 10 DecemberWednesday 9 December 1 pm
Friday 11 DecemberWednesday 9 December 1 pm

Technetium-99m Generators

Supply as per below schedule from today 1 December. Local production at ANSTO starts next week 7 December.

Week commencing 30 November
ProductDetails
Technetium-99 Generators

Deliveries scheduled to arrive Wednesday will be with customers on Thursday 3 December.

Deliveries for the remainder of the week will be confirmed soon.

 

Size:

Imported Mo-99 must be loaded on Generators of ≤80GBq. This applies to calibrations on Monday 30 November.

Customers who may receive a different generator size will be contacted by Customer Service.

 

ANSTO will continue to keep ARPANSA informed and we thank the nuclear medicine community in Australia and our partners overseas for their support during this time.

I-123 MIBG arrival times

4 January

Recent border closures due to COVID-19 in Australia are again impacting domestic flights and the fortnightly distribution of I-123 MIBG out of Sydney. 

The details below are for the week commencing 4 January only as flight arrivals continue to change.

Domestic flight arrivals (local time)

StateFlight arrival Delivery
Adelaide4:55pm6pm-7pm
Brisbane10:05am11:00am-12:30pm
Melbourne   10:55am12pm-1:30pm
Perth2pm3pm-4:30pm
Sydney Metro-8am-10am

 

We understand the pressure this places on you and your patients, but please be assured we are monitoring the situation and will provide updates regarding hospital delivery times as soon as we can. 

Gallium-67 supply in 2021

10 December

We regret to advise, at this point, ANSTO will not be able to supply Gallium-67 in 2021.

The cost of Gallium-67 will increase significantly from 1 January 2021 for ANSTO. Whilst discussions continue, we have not reached an agreement with Lantheus Medical Imaging, the product manufacturer in the USA, nor Global Medical Solutions, the owner of the TGA registration for Gallium-67 in Australia.

ANSTO understands that Gallium-67 will still be available from Global Medical Solutions or its distributors, however, until an agreement is reached, we will not be able to supply the product on and from 1 January 2021.

Customer Service will reach out to customers in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we thank you for your continued support, and if you have any questions, please contact us.

Health supply update

27 November 2020

Iodine-131

We've identified a potential gap in the production capacity of our overseas partners which may result in a limited supply of Iodine-131 from 14 December. At this stage, there will be no supply for the week beginning 21 December.

ANSTO is using its best efforts to resolve this issue, but we wanted to provide advance notice so you could plan patient treatments. We encourage customers to order early.

Details of future calibrations are below: 

  • Made to order capsules will be calibrated Monday 7 December and available for delivery from Tuesday 8
  • Capsules and solutions for week commencing 14 December, calibrated for 7 December will be available depending on availability of size and stocks - these orders need to be placed by 1 pm Wednesday 9 December
  • A limited quantity of pre-made set size capsules will be available from Monday 14 December
  • We encourage customers to order early for patients requiring Iodine-131 for the week commencing 14 December

 

Monday 30 November calibration
DeliveryOrder cut-off (AEDT)
Tuesday 1 DecemberMonday 30 November 1 pm
Wednesday 2 DecemberTuesday 1 December 1 pm
Thursday 3 DecemberWednesday 2 December 1 pm
Friday 4 DecemberWednesday 2 December 1 pm
Monday 7 DecemberWednesday 2 December 1 pm

 

Monday 7 December calibration
DeliveryOrder cut-off (AEDT)
Tuesday 8 DecemberMonday 7 December 1 pm
Wednesday 9 DecemberTuesday 8 December 1 pm
Thursday 10 DecemberWednesday 9 December 1 pm
Friday 11 DecemberWednesday 9 December 1 pm

 

We appreciate that this is a challenging time for all involved, and we will share further information as it becomes available.
 

24 November

ANSTO has made progress in securing the supply of Mo-99 and I-131 from overseas partners. Additional Mo-99 is scheduled to arrive from overseas meaning our schedule will be slightly reworked. 

Timing and product information is below. All arrangements are dependent on supply availability and international flight arrivals.

Domestic

Week commencing 23 November
ProductDetails
Technetium-99 Generators

Deliveries scheduled to arrive Wednesday will be with customers on Thursday 26 November.

Deliveries scheduled for Friday will arrive on Thursday 26 November and Friday 27 November.

There will be no changes to deliveries due on Monday 30 November.

 

Size:

Imported Mo-99 must be loaded on Generators of ≤80GBq. This applies to calibrations on Monday 30 November.

Customers who may receive a different generator size will be contacted by Customer Service.

Iodine-131 Capsules & Solutions

Made to order capsules were calibrated Monday 23 November and are available for delivery until Friday 27 November.

The cut off for deliveries arriving on Friday 27 November is 1 pm AEDT Wednesday 25 November.

Capsules and solutions calibrated Monday 30 November will be available from the same day.   

Lutetium-177

ANSTO will work with our international partners and logistics suppliers to have Lu-177 available for patient treatment.

Chromium-51

Calibrations are available for 1 November and 1 December.

 

Week commencing 30 November
ProductDetails
Technetium-99 Generators

Deliveries scheduled to arrive Wednesday will be with customers on Thursday 3 December.

Deliveries for the remainder of the week will be confirmed soon.

 

Size:

Imported Mo-99 must be loaded on Generators of ≤80GBq. This applies to calibrations on Monday 30 November.

Customers who may receive a different generator size will be contacted by Customer Service.

Iodine-131 Capsules & Solutions

Imported supply will arrive the week of 30 November for Monday 7 December calibration.

Deliveries will be available from Tuesday 8 December.  

Lutetium-177

ANSTO will work with our international partners and logistics suppliers to have Lu-177 available for patient treatment.

Chromium-51

Calibrations are available for 1 November and 1 December.

Export

  • Technetium-99 Generators: No supply available for four weeks (to mid-December).
  • Iodine-131 Capsules & Solutions: No calibrations available on 30 November. Future calibrations to be advised.  
  • Chromium-51: Calibrations available for 1 November and 1 December.

20 November 2020

Domestic update:

ANSTO is pleased to confirm we have secured imported supply of Mo-99; this means there will be activity available for generators from Thursday 26 November to Monday 30 November. 

We are currently developing a supply plan and will be in contact with customers early next week to discuss delivery schedules for Tc-99m generators.

We continue to work closely with overseas partners to further improve the supply of Mo-99 and I-131 until local production recommences.

ANSTO will provide regular updates, and we hope that this latest update is welcome news for all involved.

OPAL scheduled maintenance update

18 November 2020

There will be a delay in the restart of ANSTO's OPAL reactor due to an anomaly identified in scheduled maintenance. This will impact our Health product supply from 23 November onwards. 

The team is currently conducting ongoing inspections and data collection to evaluate and assess the situation fully. As a result, the planned shut-down has been extended to allow for additional tests, inspections and analysis. These will take around two weeks and will help determine when OPAL will restart.

In total, it will be at least four weeks (to mid-December) minimum before full domestic nuclear medicine supply is available. ANSTO is working with multiple overseas suppliers to secure as much product as possible over the period when supply is unavailable.

We will continue to work with the nuclear medicine community in Australia with regard to the distribution and prioritisation of important nuclear medicine across metropolitan, regional, and rural Australia as well as our export customers. We apologise to customers for any inconvenience that supply disruptions will cause.

Affected products

Domestic

  • Technetium-99 Generators: Supply from 20-24 November will be a blend of Gentech® and LMI TechneLite Generators. Customers may see some changes to size and activity from 23 November. No Generators will be delivered on 25 and 27 November.
  • Iodine-131 Capsules: Supply of made to order capsules available for delivery until 26 November. A quantity of pre-made set sizes calibrated 23 November will be available for the following week; sizes may be limited, we will advise customers shortly.
  • Lutetium-177: From November 23, we will work with our international partners and logistics suppliers to have Lu-177 available for patient treatment.
  • Chromium-51: Calibrations available for 1 November and 1 December.

Export

  • Technetium-99 Generators: No supply available for four weeks (to mid-December).
  • Iodine-131 Capsules & Solutions: No calibrations available on 30 November. Future calibrations to be advised.  
  • Chromium-51: Calibrations available for 1 November and 1 December.

Plans and securing supply
It will be at least four weeks before full domestic nuclear medicine supply is available. 

ANSTO is currently working with the international nuclear medicine community to source supply of Molybdenum-99 and Iodine-131. However, from 30 November even if supply is secured, we expect less than 50 per cent of our usual supply. 

We are doing all we can to close this gap but want to provide as much notice as possible so we can work with you to plan accordingly.

We're here to support you
We understand the pressure this places on practitioners and their patients. Customer Service will be in contact to outline a tailored supply plan for 23 November onwards. Please reach out with any questions:

Phone: 1800 251 572 or +61 2 9717 9992
Email: health@ansto.gov.au

Updates with more information will be available on our website as soon as it is readily available.

OPAL reactor maintenance update

12 November 2020

An additional maintenance requirement has been identified as part of the routine maintenance shut-down of the OPAL reactor this week. 

In response, the shut-down will be extended to allow for additional tests to be completed whilst the reactor is powered down. The results will help determine when OPAL will re-start.

This may impact our Health product supply. So right now, our team is pursuing back-up supply options for all Health products to minimise any patient impact.

Customer Service will be in contact with you to discuss your requirements, and we will share further information shortly.

Scheduled maintenance is a routine part of the continued safe operations of OPAL, and we look forward to resuming normal operations as soon as possible.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Customer Service.

Holiday season delivery schedule

6 November 2020

Thank you for your continued support throughout 2020.

We appreciate planning is key around this time of the year, so we've listed our holiday season open times and delivery schedules below. Normal business hours and deliveries will recommence on Thursday, 2 January 2021.

Customer Service hours

Closed: Friday 25 December, Saturday 26 December, Monday 28 December, Friday 1 January

Open: Tuesday 29 December

Order and delivery schedule

ProductDetails

Gentech® Generators

Last deliveries: Wednesday 23 December.

 

Deliveries after Christmas: Tuesday 29 and Thursday 31 December.

 

Normal deliveries recommence Monday 4 January.

 

Please let us know of any changes to requirements over the Christmas and New Year period by Friday 27 November.

Iodine 131 capsules and solutions

The order cut off for deliveries from Wednesday 23 to Thursday 31 December: 1 pm AEDT Tuesday 22 December.

 

Normal deliveries recommence Monday 4 January.

Lutetium

The order cut off for deliveries from 21 December: 1 pm AEDT Thursday 10 December.

 

There will be no production run or backup supply for the week commencing 28 December.

 

The order cut off for deliveries week from 4 January: 1 pm AEDT Wednesday 23December.

Iodine 123 MIBG 

Last calibration of the year: Thursday 17 December.

First calibration 2021: Thursday, 7 January.

 

An update on new ordering dates will be provided shortly.

Iodine 123 Radiochemical

Last calibration of the year: Tuesday 8 December. Orders must be placed by 4 pm AEDT 4 December.

 

First calibration 2021: Wednesday, 13 January. Orders must be placed by 5 pm AEDT Tuesday 22 December.

 

An update on new ordering dates will be provided shortly.

Gallium 67 Last calibration of the year: Thursday 17 December.

 

Tc-99m generator update

23 October 2020

Production of Tc-99m generators at ANSTO has resumed, with all relevant quality control checks passed and the cause of the issue identified and rectified.

ANSTO will distribute local generator supply across Australia from Sunday 25 October.

ANSTO has secured additional generator supply from America and is doubling its production capacity with more team members and shifts to get customers back on schedule early next week.

We thank the nuclear medicine community for their assistance as we work on restoring supply.

Take a look at our live customer delivery schedule page

21 October 2020

Imported Tc-99m generators have arrived in Australia, and customers will receive deliveries in line with flight and logistics availability.

Take a look at our live customer delivery schedule page

By the evening of Thursday 22 October, pending a final quality assurance test within the Nuclear Medicine Facility, we anticipate we will be able to confirm the supply of local generators for distribution from Saturday 24 October.

ANSTO is doubling its production capacity with additional team members and more shifts to get customers back on schedule early next week.

The Customer Service team will be in touch from Thursday 22 October through to Friday 23 October to confirm delivery schedules.

19 October 2020

ANSTO will begin distributing imported Tc-99m generators this Thursday 22 October.

We are working with the Nuclear Medicine Working Group to prioritise supply, and our Customer Service team will speak with each customer over the coming days to confirm and help plan delivery.

Before generator supply recommences out of our nuclear medicine facility, it must pass the appropriate clearances for our people and patient safety. ANSTO is aiming to recommence local generator production later this week and distribute from early next week. 

Further information regarding import generator arrival and distribution as well as local generator resupply will be available on our website on the evening of Wednesday 21 October.

16 October 2020

The batch of Tc-99m generators which we were due to send out today has not passed our quality standards testing. 

ANSTO is currently investigating the issue and is making plans to import generators from LMI in America. We anticipate these generators will be delivered late next week and are working with members of the Nuclear Medicine Working Group to manage resupply.

Our priority is the safety of patients and employees. We will continue to provide updates as soon as we have more information.

15 October 2020

Tc-99m generator production has recommenced after operations were put on hold yesterday due to an electrical issue.

Our operations team will be working over the weekend to ensure we make up time in production, and the customer service team will continue to work with customers to meet specific requirements.

We anticipate all deliveries will be with customers by Tuesday 20 October. 

 

Scheduled maintenance generator production

1 October 2020

Update: Scheduled maintenance dates confirmed for Gentech® generator production line

Earlier this year, we pushed the scheduled maintenance of our generator production line within our Nuclear Medicine processing and distribution facility back to overcome logistical supply challenges faced due to COVID-19.

We can now confirm maintenance will take place on 2-16 November.

Technetium-99 generators will be available throughout this time. Our customer service team will contact you directly to discuss an approach to your ordering that will minimise any patient impact.

Sustainable operations and the reliable supply of nuclear medicine is ANSTO’s priority. Scheduled maintenance enables the continuation of safe operations and improvements in the reliable supply of Gentech® generators for you and your patients.

Supply update Lutetium-177

18 August 2020

Update: Scheduled maintenance shutdown for Lutetium-177 production facility

As communicated on 5 August, ANSTO will undertake the annual routine maintenance shutdown of its Lutetium-177 (Lu-177) production facility to ensure safe sustainable supply. We are informing you the dates have been extended slightly, and maintenance will now take place from 18 August to 27 September.

During this time, ANSTO will work with our international partners and logistics suppliers to have Lu-177 available for patient treatment.

To ensure your requirements are met please have your orders submitted in line with our schedule cut-off times below.

Lu-177 order cut off times

*Please note that throughout the maintenance period, strict cut-off applies as indicated below. 

Orders for Lutetium-177 are required prior to 1:00pm Thursdays.

Week of Calibration and Despatch

 

Order Cut Off Date                           .               

10 August 2020

Thurs 30 July 2020

17 August 2020

Thurs 6 August 2020

24 August 2020

Thurs 13 August 2020

31 August 2020

Thurs 20 August 2020*

7 September 2020

Thurs 27 August 2020*

14 September 2020

Thurs 3 September 2020*

21 September 2020

Thurs 10 September 2020*

28 September 2020

Thurs 17 September 2020*

5 October 2020

Thurs 24 September 2020*

12 October 2020

Thurs 1 October 2020

19 October 2020

Thurs 8 October 2020

26 October 2020

Thurs 15 October 2020

2 November 2020

Thurs 22 October 2020

9 November 2020

Thurs 29 October 2020

16 November 2020

Thurs 5 November 2020

23 November 2020

Thurs 12 November 2020

30 November 2020

Thurs 19 November 2020

7 December 2020

Thurs 26 November 2020

14 December 2020

Thurs 3 December 2020

ANSTO offers Lutetium-177 calibrated for Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Please send all orders to health@ansto.gov.au or by phone 1800 251 572.

 

Scheduled maintenance shutdown Lu-177 production facility - 05 August

05 August 2020

Scheduled maintenance shutdown for Lutetium-177 production facility

ANSTO will undertake routine maintenance shutdown of its Lutetium-177 (Lu-177) production facility, scheduled from 29 August 2020 until 27 September 2020.

During this time ANSTO will work with our international partners and logistics suppliers to have Lu-177 available for patient treatment.

For information on order cut-off times view the Health products customer updates page or contact our customer service team by emailing health@ansto.gov.au or by calling 1800 251 572.

Supply Update Gallium-67 - 22 July 2020

Disruption of supply of Gallium-67

Lantheus Medical Imaging USA have advised that due to routine scheduled  maintenance work within their facility there will be no supply of Gallium-67 for week commencing 3rd August - calibration 6th August.

Lantheus offer their apologies for any inconvenience caused; resupply is due to commence from week 10 August for 13 August calibration. 

Sodium Molybdate [Mo-99] (Fission) Solution Update - 22 July 2020

Product update: Sodium Molybdate [Mo-99] (Fission) Solution

As part of our continuous product enhancements, ANSTO, through the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approval process, has refreshed our Sodium Molybdate [Mo-99] (Fission) Solution offering.

You will notice the following changes from 1 August 2020:

  • The current pH specification of “>7” will be updated to align to the current British Pharmacopeia. The new pH specification will be “9 – 14”.

There has been no change to the product.

You can view the latest production information via our product list page.

Delivery update: I-123 MIBG - 22 July 2020

August delivery schedule for Fujifilm Manufactured I-123 MIBG

ANSTO continues to work with Fujifilm and our logistics suppliers to secure supply of I-123 MIBG. International flights are yet to resume to a reliable weekly schedule, as such, we will continue to order I-123 MIBG from FujiFulm for delivery and calibration on a fortnightly Thursday schedule.

  • Thursday 30 July 2020  - early order cut off 5.00pm Tuesday 21 July
  • Thursday 13 August 2020
  • Thursday 27 August 2020

We will endeavour to keep all hospitals updated as soon we have any further information.

We still face some domestic challenges surrounding flights and will continue to be in contact with you regarding the final delivery time to your hospital.    

The cut-off time remains 5.00pm on Wednesday the week prior to the shipment unless otherwise specified.

 

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Health customer service team

If you have any further questions please get in touch with our customer service team: