During the Covid-19 crisis, Curium has remained focused on people and patients – protecting the safety of employees and securing a reliable supply of life-saving imaging and therapeutic products to customers and patients across the globe.
At sites around the world, Curium has adopted remote working where possible. Where on-site operations are required, employees are advised to adopt social distancing. There are restrictions on all external visitors from our sites, enhanced sanitising and cleaning procedures, daily temperature checks and other precautionary measures to reduce the risk of exposure have also been implemented.
Curium is proud to report a continued reliable supply of PET and SPECT products to meet customer’s demand, despite the increased challenges of COVID-19. All key production sites are fully operational, production schedules have been shifted to adjust to frequent changes in supply and distribution network. As 70% of SPECT products regular routings were closed due to flight cancellations the Logistics teams opened up 60+ new airfreight routes sometimes in a matter of hours after closure of an existing route. The purchasing team has enhanced sourcing to ensure stocks of critical supplies. All employees remain focused on the reliable supply of imaging and therapeutic products to customers and patients across the globe.
Commercial teams have been, remotely, in daily contact with customers to understand developments and support patients. One of these contacts in the US is conducting a clinical trial as they have seen a correlation between COVID-19 and brain involvement leading to stroke. The trial will investigate the use of PULMOTECH MAA (technetium Tc 99m albumin aggregated injection) in intrapulmonary shunting. This may explain why physicians are seeing a high incidence of stroke in COVID-19 patients and thus can help improve patient management. Curium will be distributing the product for use in this trial.
Amidst these unfamiliar circumstances Curium managed to get the first routinely produced doses of Striascan (I123 Ioflupane) shipped to customers in Europe. As the demand for neurological investigations dramatically dropped (marked as “cancel or rebook as necessary”: Appendix 1- BNMS COVID-19 guidance 20March[1]), production was adjusted while continuing to fill all customer orders.
Curium UK are also working with a third party to offer a ‘desktop’ solution for customers who currently do not have a laminar flow cabinet. Striascan and other radiopharmaceuticals can then be sent directly to the nuclear medicine department where they can be drawn up safely into a syringe.
Visit the Curium website to view COVID-19 Actions
