Spanish government approves $57.1 million for the supply of radiopharmaceuticals in the SAS

Curium Pharma has been awarded a macro contract in Andalusia, Spain. The pharmaceutical company has been awarded a $57,1 million (€52.3 million) contract to supply radiopharmaceuticals to the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) centers over the next 48 months. The company will also be responsible for the maintenance of the equipment dedicated to nuclear medicine treatments and the management of the waste generated.

The regional executive justified the contract by stating that “the SAS must have radiopharmaceuticals in conditions to be administered to patients who need them.” The Andalusian government points out that “radiopharmaceuticals have the legal status of special medicines and the facilities where they are handled are subject to very strict legislation on nuclear safety; their application can only be carried out in the nuclear medicine services or units of hospitals.”

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Curium Pharma, a major player in medicine

Curium Pharma was born from the merger of two world giants in nuclear medicine: the American IBA Molecular and the Irish Mallinckrodt. The European company, named after scientists Marie and Pierre Curie, treats fourteen million patients a year in more than sixty countries. It has a portfolio of more than 6,000 clients and employs 2,000 qualified professionals.

Drawing on over 100 years of experience, Curium combines proven heritage with a pioneering approach to deliver innovation, excellence and unparalleled service. Known as the world’s leading provider of nuclear medicine, Curium has a single focus – to develop, manufacture and supply world-class radiopharmaceutical products to customers around the globe.

Similarly, Curium has a portfolio of 50 products that are produced in three manufacturing plants and distributed through 44 nuclear pharmacies in the U.S. and Europe. The company’s headquarters are located in London, Paris, St. Louis (USA) and Luxembourg. In Spain, its headquarters are located in Alcobendas, Madrid. The company has been awarded the contract to supply radiopharmaceuticals to other administrations in addition to Andalusia. In Madrid, the company is responsible for supplying this type of medication to the Gregorio Maranon University Hospitals.

Curium made the news in February 2019 because the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) opened a sanctioning procedure against the company for possible restrictive practices in the production and commercialization of radiopharmaceuticals. The commission accused Curium Pharma of making a pact with Advanced Accelerator Applications Ibérica to share the market, set prices and exchange information.

Radiopharmaceuticals, an unstable medication

Radiopharmaceuticals have a number of characteristics that make them different from other conventional drugs. This type of product emits radioactivity and undergoes radioactive degradation, so its composition varies relatively quickly and has a very short effective half-life.

These characteristics require special management of the waste they generate. “From the preparation to the administration to the patient, waste materials, containers, equipment or instruments contaminated with radiation are produced, which is biohazardous and must be treated scrupulously so as not to cause accidental damage,” stated the Andalusian Government in the tender report.

For this reason, the contract requires that the company that won the tender, which in this case is Curium, is also responsible for the waste disposal function. Similarly, it must be responsible for sending the material to hospitals safely.

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(Featured image by Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash)

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