CALGARY (RAJEEV SHARMA): Alberta is investing $71 million to establish Calgary’s first cyclotron facility, a project expected to expand access to advanced diagnostic imaging and specialized cancer care across southern Alberta.
The province is committing $64 million over three years toward construction of the Calgary Radiopharmaceutical Centre at Foothills Medical Centre. The Alberta Cancer Foundation is providing a further $7 million for specialized equipment and research laboratories, with financial support from the Culbert Family, Calgary Health Foundation and other donors.
The centre will produce radiopharmaceuticals used in diagnostic imaging and treatment for a range of serious conditions, including cancer, heart disease and neurological disorders. Once operational, the facility is expected to serve thousands of patients each year.
The project will also include research laboratories focused on developing new radiopharmaceuticals and supporting clinical trials. Researchers will be able to study new approaches to diagnosing and treating disease while examining how illnesses progress.
Alberta currently produces radiopharmaceuticals only in Edmonton. Because many of these medical products have relatively short usable lifespans, transporting them over long distances can affect the time available for their use.
Producing the medicines in Calgary is expected to shorten transportation times and reduce product loss caused by radioactive decay, creating a more dependable supply for patients in southern Alberta.
The need for advanced imaging services is also expected to increase as Alberta’s population grows and ages. Provincial projections indicate that demand for positron emission tomography (PET) scans could more than triple by 2040.
Officials say the Calgary facility will more than triple Alberta’s production capacity for medicines used in PET imaging and nearly double capacity for those used in single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans.
Hospital and Surgical Health Services Minister Adriana LaGrange said the investment will provide infrastructure needed to improve early diagnosis and expand access to treatment.
Infrastructure Minister Martin Long said producing radiopharmaceuticals closer to patients will strengthen the province’s health-care capacity and support more reliable access to diagnostic services.
The Alberta Cancer Foundation said the centre will also create opportunities for additional research and clinical trials, potentially accelerating the development and availability of new treatment approaches.
Cancer Care Alberta managing director Brenda Hubley said the facility will contribute to expanded imaging services and targeted therapies, with the goal of supporting earlier and more precise cancer diagnosis and more individualized treatment.
Construction is already underway, with the Calgary Radiopharmaceutical Centre expected to begin operations in 2029.
