MDS Nordion Provides Long-term Cobalt Supply for Sterilisation Industry
Ottawa, Canada (ots/PRNewswire)
MDS Nordion, the world's largest supplier of medical isotopes, is pleased to announce it has extended an exclusive agreement with Bruce Power to provide a reliable supply of cobalt until 2019. This partnership produces over 40% of the world's supply of cobalt, used primarily for the sterilisation of medical devices and consumer products.
"We are very pleased that MDS Nordion continues to invest in these partnerships," said Lin Nai-jie, General Manager of Shenzhen JPY Ion Tech Co. Ltd. "Growth in our market is significant, and a reliable, stable supply of cobalt is an important component of positioning this technology and our company as leaders in sterilisation."
Today approximately 45% of the single use medical devices produced worldwide are sterilised using gamma sterilisation. These include disposable medical devices and supplies such as surgeon's gloves, syringes, sutures and catheters, as well as pharmaceuticals, implants and tissue. The process, in use for more than 40 years, has been proven safe, reliable, and highly effective for sterilisation, as well as disinfestation of fruits and vegetables to meet international quarantine regulations, the treatment of cosmetic products, and to enhance the material properties of polymers.
"We are committed to providing an integrated solution for our customers in the sterilisation industry," said Steve West, President, MDS Nordion. "Our solution encompasses securing long-term strategic partnerships, complemented by a full breadth of advanced sterilisation technology and services."
"We're pleased to play our part in helping meet the increased demand for sterilisation solutions," said Duncan Hawthorne, Bruce Power's President and Chief Executive Officer. "That demand means increased supply requirements, which provides new opportunities for power generators like us."
About Bruce Power
Bruce Power generates more than 4,700 MW of electricity from its six reactor units and is a partnership among Cameco Corporation, TransCanada Corporation, BPC Generation Infrastructure Trust, a trust established by the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, the Power Workers' Union and The Society of Energy Professionals.
About MDS Nordion
MDS Nordion (www.mds.nordion.com) is a world leader in radioisotopes, radiation and related technologies. MDS Nordion is part of MDS Inc. (TSX: MDS; NYSE: MDZ). MDS Inc. is a global life sciences company that provides market- leading products and services that our customers need for the development of drugs and diagnosis and treatment of disease. We are a leading global provider of pharmaceutical contract research, medical isotopes for molecular imaging, radiotherapeutics, and analytical instruments. MDS has more than 8,800 highly skilled people in 28 countries. Find out more at www.mdsinc.com or by calling +1-888-MDS-7222, 24 hours a day.
Contact:
Shelley Maclean, External Communications, MDS Nordion, Tel:
+1-613-592-3400 ext. 2414, E-mail: shelley.maclean@mdsinc.com