Belgian-manufactured cyclotron for production of radioisotopes to be placed in ultra modern cancer treatment center in early 2013

YEREVAN, August 2. /ARKA/. A Belgian-manufactured cyclotron, designed for the synthesis of radioisotopes will be placed in the newly built ultra modern cancer treatment center in Yerevan in early 2013, Economy Minister Tigran Davtyan said at the government session on Thursday.

The Armenian Oncological Center Project funded by a loan from the Belgian government includes building a radioisotope complex, a diagnostic center equipped with positron emission tomographs, and an oncological clinic, and envisages radioisotope production through a cyclotron with a power of Cyclone 18/18 MeV (electronic volts) in the Alikhanyan National Scientific Laboratory. The project is handled by the National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia as part of a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Belgian Global Medical Solutions.

The facility will be furnished with new equipment worth 2.5 million euros and will get technical assistance from the Belgian company IBA.

The Cabinet session approved today release of 1.1 billion dram budget loan for the Center for Radioisotope Production which it needs to create conditions for the installment of the cyclotron. According to the minister, radioisotope production is very much likely to start in 2014.

The project creates the opportunity to turn Armenia into an oncological and nuclear medicine hub in the region. The center will be established as part of Armenia’s capacities for nuclear physics. The oncological center will become a part of Armenian public health infrastructure and will annually serve around 4,000 people.

The Armenian government has chosen Global Medical Solutions with a rich international experience to steer the project. It runs similar projects in Australia, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand. The total cost of the project that involves also private investments is 35 million euros.

According to the health ministry, more than 30,000 people in Armenia suffer from cancer and their number grows by 3 percent every year. The diseases makes 2,700 people disabled each year. ($1- AMD 408.36).  -0-