On the sidelines of the 64th Annual Conference of the Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group (PTCOG), a meeting was held between Adilzhan Serikov, Director of the Department for Strategy and Sustainability of the Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP), and Mr. Olivier Legrain, Chief Executive Officer of IBA.
IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A., Belgium) is a global leader in proton therapy technologies, particle accelerators, and radiopharmaceutical solutions. For nearly ten years, the Institute of Nuclear Physics has successfully operated the Cyclone-30 cyclotron manufactured by IBA, which is used for the production of fluorine-18, a strategically important radioisotope for the development of nuclear medicine in Kazakhstan. Radiopharmaceuticals based on fluorine-18 are widely used in nuclear medicine centers for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and the early diagnosis of oncological diseases.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the implementation of an investment project aimed at commissioning the Cyclone-18 cyclotron at the Institute of Nuclear Physics. Mr. Legrain expressed IBA’s readiness to provide the necessary technical expertise and support to ensure the successful realization of the project.
The Institute of Nuclear Physics is currently in the process of finalizing an investment agreement with Orhun Medical for the commissioning of the Cyclone-18 proton accelerator with a beam energy of 18 MeV. The new facility will ensure uninterrupted production of fluorine-18, increase production capacity, and free up the Cyclone-30 cyclotron for the expansion of the Institute’s radioisotope product portfolio.
The project represents an important step toward strengthening Kazakhstan’s nuclear medicine infrastructure and improving access to advanced diagnostic technologies for patients across the country.
