New South African Isotope Facility to fight cancer and advance research
The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Dr Blade Nzimande, will on Friday, 9 June 2023, launch the South African Isotope Facility (SAIF), a facility supported and funded by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI).
With cancer expected to become the leading cause of death on the African continent by 2030, according to the World Health Organisation, the SAIF is a response to the growing challenge.
The SAIF, managed by the Department's entity the National Research Foundation, is a flagship programme at iThemba LABS in Cape Town.
“The facility will conduct advance research and training capacity as well as increase the production capacity for radioisotopes, including new-generation novel radioisotopes. In addition, the SAIF has acquired a dedicated cyclotron with associated infrastructure for the production of radioisotopes, thus freeing the existing separated sector cyclotron for full-time research and training,” said the Minister.
Radioisotope therapy is used in treating cancer. The radioisotopes target cancerous cells while causing minimal damage to surrounding healthy cells.
IThemba LABS has been producing radioisotopes for both the local and international nuclear medicine and research fraternity for more than 30 years. It is one of only a few places in South Africa where the complete manufacturing process to produce medicine takes place. It includes production facilities, chemical processing, quality assurance and control, filling and packaging under sterile conditions, and end-to-end logistics, marketing and sales.
IThemba LABS supplies certain medical isotopes for South African nuclear medicine clinics which cannot be supplied by anyone else or even imported at the moment. Currently about 5 000 South African patients a year benefit from the supply, and it is expected that these numbers could increase by a factor of 5 to 7 with the increase in production capacity through the SAIF and the availability of a new cohort of isotopes.
The media are invited as follows:
Date: 9 June 2023
Time: 09:30
Venue: iThemba LABS, Old Faure Road, Eerste Rivier, Cape Town
For media attendance, RSVP:
Thabang Setlhare
Cell: 072 659 9690
E-mail: thabang.setlhare@dst.gov.za.
Enquiries:
Ishmael Mnisi
Cell: 066 037 8859
E-mail: Ishmael.Mnisi@dst.gov.za
