Positron And iThemba LABS Enters Into Radioisotope Supply Agreement

CHICAGO, July 29, 2013

The iThemba Laboratory for Accelerator-Based Sciences (LABS) is a group of multi-disciplinary research laboratories administered by the National Research Foundation of South Africa. The iThemba LABS facility provides basic and applied research using particle beams, particle radiotherapy for the treatment of cancer and the supply of accelerator-produced radioactive isotopes for nuclear medicine and research. The Radionuclide Production Department has been producing radiopharmaceuticals and radionuclides for the past 23 years, some of them include ⁶⁷Ga-citrate, ¹²³I-products, ¹⁸F-FDG, ⁶⁸Ge/⁶⁸Ga generators, ²²Na UHV positron sources and ⁸²Sr (irradiated Rb or RbCl targets).  iThemba LABS is the largest facility of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and one of six facilities in the world that can produce Sr-82 with a proton accelerator.

"Over the past 15 years, iThemba LABS has played an integral role in supplying a significant portion of the global Sr-82 supply," states Jason Kitten, Executive Director of Radioisotopes for Positron.  "During my tenure, with the U.S. Department of Energy at Los Alamos National Laboratory, I came to recognize iThemba LABS as a global leader and am pleased to continue our relationship. This agreement is a true testament to our mutual commitment to cardiac PET and enhancing the reliability of this vital lifeline to the industry. This collaboration further advances and strengthens the progression of a successful technology transfer of the Sr-82 lifecycle, from the U.S. DOE to the private sector. We look forward to a mutually beneficial partnership, whereby iThemba LABS can assist in expanding the cardiac PET market in the U.S. through Sr-82 supply and Positron will assist in bringing the cardiac PET modality to the African continent with iThemba LABS leading the effort."

About Positron: Positron Corporation is a nuclear medicine healthcare company vertically integrating all the segments of nuclear cardiology, providing an end-to-end solution for cardiac PET.  Through proprietary PET imaging systems, radiopharmaceuticals and radioisotopes solutions, Positron enables healthcare providers to more accurately diagnose disease and improve patient outcomes, while practicing cost effective medicine. Positron's unique products, market position and approach in securing the supply chain are substantial advantages, further accelerating the adoption of cardiac PET and growth of nuclear cardiology.  Positron is redefining the industry.  More information about Positron is available at www.positron.com.

About iThemba LABS: iThemba (which means HOPE in Nguni languages) Laboratory for Accelerator Based Sciences is a National Research Facility administered by the National Research Foundation of South Africa. Located at two sites in Cape Town and Gauteng, the facility is committed to unleash African potential through knowledge creation, innovation and human capacity building. The infrastructure available at iThemba LABS is used to advance knowledge in the field of experimental nuclear physics and applications.

The particle beams available at the facility in Cape Town are used to:

• Advance the fundamental understanding of the structure and reaction mechanisms governing interactions of charged projectiles with target nuclei;
• Offer proton and neutron particle radiotherapy;
• Produce radionuclides for medical and industrial applications;
• Provide analysis techniques for applications in materials research.

The Radionuclide Production Department at iThemba LABS has been producing isotopes for the past 23 years and is currently one of six facilities in the world capable of producing Sr-82. More information on iThemba LABS is available at www.tlabs.ac.za.