MUSCAT: Oman Investment Authority (OIA) and Saudi Arabia’s Oryx Isotopes Company have launched Nucleus Oman, the Sultanate of Oman’s first project dedicated to manufacturing radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosis and treatment, aiming to reduce reliance on imports and expand nuclear medicine services.
The project, announced in collaboration with the ministries of Health and Finance, will establish an integrated production facility supported by radiation calibration, research and training capabilities.
A joint venture established by OIA and Oryx Isotopes will develop and operate the facility as the concessionaire under a long-term public-private partnership agreement with the Ministry of Health.
The facility will provide hospitals and healthcare institutions with a domestic source of radiopharmaceuticals. Reliable local supplies are particularly important because the products’ radioactive nature limits the time available for transport and administration.
Abdulsalam bin Mohammed al Murshidi, President of OIA, said the partnership would establish a specialised manufacturing industry addressing the healthcare sector’s requirements.
“Through the establishment of a joint venture with Saudi Arabia’s Oryx Isotopes Company, we are laying the foundation for a specialised industry that directly addresses the needs of the healthcare sector,” he said.
Al Murshidi said the project would build national production capabilities and support sustainable supplies through an integrated facility and a laboratory specialising in calibration and radiation dosimetry.
Knowledge and technology transfer would form a central part of the partnership, alongside developing Omani expertise in production, calibration, research and development.
The venture would also create opportunities for Omani enterprises to participate in the value chain and position the Sultanate of Oman to serve regional markets, he added.
The manufacturing facility will include units producing radiopharmaceuticals used in nuclear medicine imaging for the early detection of cancer, cardiovascular and neurological diseases, as well as monitoring patients’ response to treatment.
Additional units will manufacture preparations for targeted radionuclide therapy.
A Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory will calibrate radiation measurement instruments in accordance with international standards, supporting radiation measurement and protection requirements across healthcare and industry.
Dedicated research and development facilities will support work on new radiopharmaceuticals and targeted therapies.
Sultan bin Salim al Habsi, Minister of Finance, said the agreement reflected efforts to strengthen public-private partnerships, improve public spending efficiency and draw on private-sector financing, operational capabilities and technical expertise.
He said the Ministry of Finance’s oversight of the partnership programme sought to improve coordination between government institutions and businesses, ensure effective use of resources and increase the economic and social value of development projects.
Nucleus Oman demonstrated how such partnerships could support national priorities through advanced medical manufacturing and greater local value added, he said.
Dr Hilal bin Ali Al Sabti, Minister of Health, said the project would support the development of nuclear medicine services by improving access to specialised diagnostic procedures and targeted treatments.
A sustainable supply of radiopharmaceuticals would support early disease detection and improve patient care, while the facility’s calibration, research and training infrastructure would help develop Omani expertise and maintain quality and safety standards, he said.
Local manufacturing is expected to ease constraints associated with product availability and import costs, enabling hospitals and private healthcare providers to expand nuclear medicine services.
The project will also support a domestic value chain encompassing production, quality assurance, radiation measurement, research and specialised services, creating investment opportunities in supporting businesses.
Future expansion in production and exports could help establish Oman as a regional centre for radiopharmaceuticals and related services, drawing on its logistics infrastructure and air connections with regional markets.
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