Berlin, June 26, 2013. Eckert & Ziegler will purchase all shares in BSM Diagnostica Gesellschaft m.b.H., based in Vienna, Austria, effective July 1, 2013. BSM is one of the leading providers in Austria of FDG (18F fluordeoxyglucose), a radiodiagnostic used in positron emission tomography (PET) scanning. The company manufactures FDG in its own cyclotron at Seibersdorf Laboratories. BSM is also the Austrian sales partner for radiopharmaceuticals made by European drug companies and generated sales in the single-figure millions in 2012. The acquisition will help Eckert & Ziegler’s Radiopharma segment strengthen its presence in Austria and neighboring countries, and the company hopes to profit from the positive situation in terms of reimbursement for PET tests by Austria’s statutory health insurance programs.
Dr. André Heß, Eckert & Ziegler’s Executive Board member responsible for the Radiopharma segment, explains: “By purchasing BSM, we now have the necessary infrastructure at our fingertips to produce radiodiagnostics in Austria and supply them quickly and easily to nuclear clinics and other institutions. However, we also plan to expand our geographic coverage to include existing and new diagnostic centers in Central and Eastern Europe. We believe that radiodiagnostics will play an essential role in personalized medicine. Performing a diagnostic scan prior to treatment will make it possible to use therapeutics in a more targeted manner.”
FDG is used in positron emission tomography (PET) to image even the smallest tumor clusters safely and rapidly. Due to its short half-life, FDG must be produced daily in cyclotrons and delivered to clinics as quickly as possible. Eckert & Ziegler has several radiopharmaceutical production sites in Germany and supplies nuclear medicine specialists in Germany, Poland and Sweden. In addition to Ga-68 generators and radiodiagnostics based on fluorine-18, Eckert & Ziegler markets Yttriga, an approved product that serves as a precursor for several radiotherapeutics. Synthesis equipment and analytical systems for the production of radiopharmaceuticals round out the portfolio.
With sales of €120 million and 620 employees, the Eckert & Ziegler Group (ISIN DE0005659700) is one of the world’s largest providers of components based on isotope technology for radiation therapy and nuclear medicine.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Eckert & Ziegler AG, Karolin Riehle, Investor Relations Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 30 / 94 10 84-138
karolin.riehle@ezag.de
www.ezag.de