IRE ELiT, a subsidiary of the IRE (National Institute for Radioelements), has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with a pharmaceutical group that has the largest radiopharmacy network in the world. Under this agreement, Cardinal Health will distribute the Germanium-68/Gallium-68 (68Ge/68Ga) Galli Eo® generator throughout North America to support clinical tests and will later routinely supply North American hospitals.
The National Institute for Radioelements (IRE), with its subsidiary IRE ELiT, is a globally recognised company focused on developing and marketing innovative products and services that improve both health and the environment.
"This agreement reflects our ambition to be a leading global operator by forming strategic partnerships with the largest operators in the radiopharmaceutical sector, such as Cardinal Health in the United States. Our aim is to advance medicine and guarantee sustainable growth through innovation. This contract gives us instant access to 95% of hospitals in the US!", explained Jean-Michel Vanderhofstadt, CEO of the IRE and IRE ELiT. "It strengthens our position as a global leader in the production of radio-isotopes for nuclear medicine and demonstrates Wallonia's dynamism in the public health sector. This dynamism can also be seen in terms of employment. The IRE and IRE ELiT employ more than 230 people. We experienced significant growth of 27% in 2016 and I have no doubt that this new contract will confirm this growth in the future".
Known as "Galli Eco", the device manufactured in Fleurus is considered extremely promising in the field of cancer imaging. This contract alone could win IRE-ELiT approximately 40% of global consumption in this area.
IRE-ELiT was founded in 2010 and its headquarters and installations are based in Fleurus. The company develops both diagnostic and therapeutic products for nuclear medicine and has a wide network of distributors on every continent.