Legal challenge may halt production of cancer medicines

Pharma News: Australia’s peak nuclear body has warned it could be forced to close production of cancer medicines if the radioactive waste storage planned for South Australia is cancelled.

Shaun Jenkinson, CEO of Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), said the federal government would not be able to keep producing nuclear medicine if it ran out of waste storage space at its Lucas Heights facility.

In September 2021, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works held public hearings to scrutinise a proposal from ANSTO to construct a $59.8 million purpose-built intermediate level solid radioactive waste storage facility at its Lucas Heights campus.

The federal government was planning to build a nuclear waste facility near Kimba in SA to store low level nuclear waste permanently and intermediate level waste until a permanent solution was found. However, it is facing legal challenges from the traditional owners, the Barngarla people, and opposition from the Greens and conservation groups who want the project cancelled.

Liberal National Senator, Susan McDonald, said Jenkinson’s claim was “confronting”. But the Australian Conservation Foundation said it risked causing unnecessary concern to vulnerable people.

ANSTO produces 80% of Australia’s nuclear medicines, including radiopharmaceuticals used to diagnose, monitor and treat cancers. Its Lucas Heights facility delivers up to 12,000 doses a week to hospitals and clinics around the country. ANSTO’s current storage is projected to reach capacity by 2027, but new storage being built is expected to last a decade beyond that.

“We would cease … some part of our operations which could be things like nuclear medicine, if we didn’t have enough space on site to store the output. It’s used in the diagnosis, staging and treatment of cancers, typically the larger amount of it has been used in diagnosis but we’re seeing therapeutics developed now, which are very exciting,” Mr Jenkinson said.

ANSTO confirmed that importing nuclear medicines is very challenging because they have a short half-life, in some cases they only last for a few days.

The Barngarla people said they were “deeply disappointed” that new studies had begun on the site.

The federal government said “characterisations works” were necessary and did not constitute the beginning of construction. But Barngarla’s Chair, Jason Bilney, said it was an “unwelcome escalation”.

“Right now we are hearing a lot of talk about a voice to parliament. We want them to hear our Barngarla voice that says a very clear ‘no’,” he said.