Alliance Medical Boosts Ireland's PET-CT Capacity and Radiopharmacy Infrastructure by 2027
Ireland is significantly expanding its PET-CT imaging and radiopharmacy infrastructure, led by Alliance Medical. New facilities, including a multi-million-euro radiopharmacy operational by 2027, will boost scanner capacity and radiopharmaceutical production. This aims to improve cancer diagnosis, patient access, and enable participation in advanced therapies like theranostics, addressing a historical deficit compared to other European nations.
Ireland has historically lagged behind other European countries in PET-CT imaging capacity, with fewer than two scanners per million people compared to an EU average often exceeding eight. This deficit significantly impacts cancer patient care, as PET-CT findings alter clinical management in approximately 30% of cases and improve survival outcomes.
Alliance Medical is addressing this by delivering new PET-CT scanning facilities nationwide and constructing a multi-million-euro radiopharmacy facility, expected to be operational in 2027. This new facility will produce diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals daily, improving patient access to PET-CT scans and enabling the diagnosis of various diseases at earlier stages. It will also supply other clinics and hospitals across Ireland.
Dr. Aileen O’Shea, a consultant radiologist at Beaumont Hospital, emphasizes the need for expanded radiopharmaceutical infrastructure to meet advances in precision medicine across oncology, cardiology, and neurology, and to facilitate participation in clinical trials. Dr. Austin Craig of Alliance Medical Ireland highlights the growing field of theranostics, which combines diagnostic imaging with therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals for cancer treatment. While approved and reimbursed in many European countries, Irish patients currently self-fund radioligand therapy (RLT).
Craig is optimistic that infrastructure improvements and advocacy will enhance RLT access and lead to reimbursement policy changes in Ireland. He also stresses the importance of educating and training Irish radiochemists to support new radiopharmaceutical applications, noting that Alliance Medical is collaborating with universities to develop specialized education programs. With over 300 ongoing radiopharmaceutical clinical trials, Ireland needs to build a robust radiopharmaceutical ecosystem to deliver future therapies to patients.