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OPAL 2024 shutdown: update on supply
September 2023
Since we last shared an update regarding the planned shutdown of OPAL in 2024, we’ve been working hard to secure supply options for the nuclear medicine community.
While this work is still ongoing, we have provided an update below on what we anticipate our supply options will be throughout the planned shutdown.
Current planned shutdown dates are Monday 18 March 2024 to Friday 5 July 2024, any changes in these dates will be communicated with our stakeholders.
Nuclear Medicine Processing and Distribution Facility maintenance
- For a period of the shutdown (approximately 10 weeks) we will also conduct maintenance on our Nuclear Medicine Processing and Distribution Facility. The current planned dates for this are Monday 18 March 2024 to Friday 24 May 2024.
- Conducting maintenance on two of our key facilities that enable nuclear medicine supply simultaneously will help support reliable supply for Australian patients into the future.
- This maintenance will replace the regular scheduled shutdown of our Nuclear Medicine Processing and Distribution Facility in 2024, which usually occurs in September or October each year.
Product supply
- ANSTO has been working productively with alternative suppliers to source supply for the domestic market during this period.
- We have broadened our supply networks by establishing new supply arrangements with international suppliers.
- These supply arrangements, while always subject to the usual risks of disruptions that can occur in nuclear medicine production, will enable ANSTO to provide some supply of critical nuclear medicine products during the shutdown period.
- Our focus has been on securing alternative supply for Tc-99m generators, I-131 finished products and Lu-177.
- We’ve been working to minimise disruption wherever possible; however, where ANSTO imports product, we are subject to our suppliers’ product availability and logistics.
- Products that are currently being imported and distributed like Cold Kits (MAA, DTPA and MDP), Iodine-123 MIBG, Iodine-131 MIBG and Gallium-68 generators should not be affected by the shutdown.
- A summary of our nuclear medicine products and their planned availability is below.
- You will notice that supply of Lu-177, bulk I-131, and Cr-51 is due to recommence later in the month of July 2024; these resupply dates align with current supply scheduling and take into consideration the reactor’s restart schedule.
Product | Supply | Supply recommences (planned) |
---|---|---|
Tc-99m generators |
Import supply planned from 27 March – 3 June 2024 |
Gentech generators supply planned from week commencing 3 June 2024 |
Lu-177 | Import supply planned from 1 April – 22 July 2024 | Week commencing 22 July 2024 |
I-131 capsules and solutions | Import supply planned from 25 March – 19 June 2024 | Week commencing 20 June 2024 |
I-131 bulk | No supply available from 18 March – 29 July 2024 | Week commencing 29 July 2024 |
I-123 radiochemical | No supply available from 18 March – 4 June 2024 | Week commencing 3 June 2024 |
Cr-51 | No supply available from 18 March – 29 July 2024 | Week commencing 29 July 2024 |
We’ll provide regular updates
We will provide supply and maintenance updates before, during, and after the upgrades and scheduled shutdown have taken place.
For further information on OPAL's 2024 maintenance shutdown, click here.
Scheduled maintenance and product supply
6 July 2023
Every year, ANSTO conducts maintenance on its nuclear medicine supply chain. We do this to ensure our operations are safe and support the reliability of nuclear medicine to Australian patients.
So you can plan for patient procedures, maintenance dates and the supply we expect to have available throughout these periods is below.
Where ANSTO relies on import supply, we are subject to our partners’ product availability and logistics.
We’re here to help and will work with you in the coming weeks to minimise any impact on your business.
Nuclear medicine processing and distribution facility
Shutdown dates: 4 September – 2 October 2023
Product |
Impacted period |
Update |
---|---|---|
Technetium-99 Gentech® Generators |
5 Sep – 6 Oct |
|
Lutetium-177 |
25 Sep – 6 Oct |
|
Sodium Iodide - 131I capsules |
25 Sep – 9 Oct |
|
Sodium Iodide - 131I Solutions Small solution 50-1200 MBq
Large solution 1201-10,000 MBq |
25 Sep – 9 Oct |
|
Iodine-131 unstabilised solution |
4 Sep – 9 Oct |
|
Iodine-123 Radiochemical |
13 Sep – 2 Oct |
|
Unimpacted products:
-
I123 MIBG
-
Iodine-131 mIBG Therapy
-
Chromium-51
OPAL
Shutdown dates: 23 October – 1 November 2023
-
No impact to products as ANSTO will provide imported supply
I-131 Capsules
5 June 2023
ANSTO has identified an appearance defect in a small number of cases following our routine stability testing for Sodium Iodide (I-131) 50-6000MBq Therapy Capsules. This was identified for higher activity capsules only. (300MBq or more for smaller capsules and 3000MBq or more for larger capsules).
While ANSTO continues to investigate and address the issue in the higher activity capsules, in the short term, ANSTO will only supply the capsules at lower activity levels which have demonstrated compliance with all quality and acceptance criteria.
ANSTO will limit the impact of this change by supplying customers who have high-activity requirements with additional capsules to meet higher activity dosage requirements at no additional cost.
ANSTO Material Number |
Description & Activity Size |
Ongoing supply |
10020 |
“Small Capsules”, 50-600MBq |
<300MBq Activity |
10233 |
“Large Capsules”, 700-6,000MBq |
<3,000MBq Activity |
Delivery and calibration
I-123 radiochemical
Order cut-off time remains 5 pm on Wednesday the week prior to the shipment unless otherwise specified.
Available for delivery and calibration on the following dates:
- 22 August
- 5 September
- 12 September
- 3 October
- 17 October
- 31 October
- 14 November
- 28 November
- 12 December
Please check with our Customer Service Team for supply dates from January 2024
I-123 MIBG
New order cut-off time 5 pm on Thursday the week prior to the shipment unless otherwise specified.
Deliveries will take place on the following Thursdays:
-
31 August
-
14 September
-
28 September
-
12 October
-
26 October
-
02 November
-
16 November
-
30 November
-
07 December
-
14 December
-
04 January 2024
-
18 January 2024
-
01 February 2024
We will endeavour to keep all hospitals updated as soon we have any further information. We still face some domestic challenges surrounding flights and will continue to be in contact with you regarding the final delivery time to your hospital.
Helpful links
Get in touch
If you would like to place a product order or have any further questions please contact the Health team.