Riyadh, June 2, 2021, SPA -- A scientific team at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, for the first time in the region, succeeded in producing radiopharmaceuticals called fluoroestradiol (FES) and F-PSMA with big amounts and high purity with the use of the positron emission F-18 element that was produced through nuclear acceleration devices at the hospital. The scientific team said that these radiopharmaceuticals have been verified in terms of quality and efficiency for clinical use to diagnose breast and prostate cancers, stressing that they meet the high international standards for relevant institutions, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For his part, head of the Cyclotron and Radiopharmaceuticals Department at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital’s Research Center Dr. Ibrahim Al-Jamaz said that the radiopharmaceutical substance used in inspecting the breast cancer is produced for the first time at the hospital as an alternative for the previous traditional diagnosis that uses the X-ray method (mammogram) and other similar X-ray methods, adding that the radiopharmaceutical substance used for inspecting the prostate cancer is a new developed production for a previous pharmaceutical substance that was produced by the hospital. He added that these new radiopharmaceuticals pin hopes for improving the diagnosis quality, which will positively reflect on the efficiency and quality of treatment results for patients who suffer from breast and prostate cancers, noting that the substances are much more effective than the currently used radiopharmaceuticals, making them one of the pillars of micro-medicine in some cancer diseases. Dr. Al-Jamaz stressed that these radiopharmaceuticals to diagnose breast cancer represent a qualitative addition, especially that breast cancer is the most spread in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and requires developing diagnosis and treatment methods to realize effective results in efforts to combat and treat the disease. This production is part of the ambitious vision of the hospital to cover the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s needs and achieve self-sufficiency in radiopharmaceuticals, which enhances high and trusted quality for the healthcare in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and achieves financial returns for investing in these substances, in a way that accords with the 2030 Saudi Vision’s transformation program for the health sector. King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh is the first center in the Middle East to produce radioactive isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals for advanced medical purposes over the past four decades, in addition to its being one of the international centers accredited by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to conduct production, research and development works in medical nuclear fields, where the hospital annually produces around 35,000 doses of radiopharmaceuticals that benefit nuclear medicine departments at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s hospitals in diagnosing many diseases and treating cancers. --SPA 16:00 LOCAL TIME 13:00 GMT 0019 www.spa.gov.sa/w1565626