Telix, Belgian inspiration results in global recognition

Did you know that over 50 million nuclear medicine procedures are performed globally each year and demand for radioisotopes is still increasing[1]? This means that there is a huge need for radiopharmaceutical products in healthcare facilities around the globe. Companies that can respond to this need must be reliable, international, and most of all… innovative.

Meet Telix; an international biopharmaceutical company whose “theranostic” (therapeutic and diagnostic) radiopharmaceutical products selectively target multiple types of cancer and rare diseases. Their solutions can find and bind to cancerous cells, and deliver radiation locally to a patient in a method that helps minimise off-target effects.

One thing that sets Telix apart from other radiopharmaceutical producers is its commitment to the whole pipeline: from the early development stage all the way to market authorisation and the patient. The company is also one of the key players to invest in clinical trials to make market approved drugs. Telix is in it for the long run, aware of the risks and still taking the leap… making it a perfect fit for the Belgian nuclear medicine ecosystem.

[1] https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/non-power-nuclear-applications/radioisotopes-research/radioisotopes-in-medicine

Rooted in Wallonia, recognised worldwide

This dedication is clearly seen in the Belgian team which includes Sébastien Linard, Radioisotopes Strategy Director EMEA. Sébastien Linard was contacted by Telix to help develop their radiopharmaceutical facility in Belgium. With 20 years of experience under his belt and a passion for nuclear medicine, he was more than suited to the task. “I was amazed when I saw the patients being treated with the radiopharmaceuticals we were manufacturing. The patients included some children around the same age as my own,” reminisces Linard.

Sébastien Linard and Telix colleagues, including Caroline Defraiteur, COO EMEA at Telix, were crucial figures in establishing Telix’s presence in Belgium. A key opportunity arose with a former radiopharmaceutical production site in Wallonia, capable of accommodating two cyclotrons. Rather than constructing a new facility, Telix chose to repurpose this existing site. Within four years, the site was fully operational and achieved GMP compliance. It is now positioned to produce life-saving radiopharmaceuticals for the next twenty years.

Starting with less than five people, Linard and the leaders of Telix built a strong team and facility that are reflected in their quality products. Telix’s Belgian-grown radiopharmaceutical solutions are being sold all over the globe, with the USA acting as a key market. For example,

Telix’s prostate cancer imaging agent has over ten clinical trials underway worldwide, funded or supported by Telix Pharmaceuticals, either as company-sponsored or Investigator-Initiated trials.

“What makes me proud to work at Telix is that the company really is a global success story. And this is thanks to a Belgian product,” says Linard.

As a large, international company the different cultures and ways of working from the various sites mean that Telix can pick and choose the best aspects from each to bring to the Belgian market.

Location, location, location

Every bold expansion begins with one key question: where? What makes Belgium such a prime spot?

Belgium is a small powerhouse that refuses to be limited by its size and hosts numerous actors in nuclear medicine with major players such as IRE (Institute of Radioelements), IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.), Trasis, and a plethora of engaged hospitals and Universities. In addition, Belgium is home to stars in the general nuclear sector, featuring SCK.CEN (Study Center of Nuclear Energy) and Tractebel. This is the rich environment that convinced the Telix’s CEO Dr. Christian Behrenbruch to establish a base in Seneffe. “A crucial moment in Telix’s journey to Belgium was the trust and motivation from the CEO. He was convinced of the potential of this “radiopharma valley” and campaigned for it internally,” explains Linard.

To launch their operations in Belgium, a large portion of the upfront funding came from the Australian side, again demonstrating the confidence and risk-taking dynamism embedded in how Telix works. The company dove into the process of moving over without any clarity or assurances of what was coming next, only the confidence that this was the right move for them.

It wasn’t only the rich nuclear capacity shown by Belgium that attracted Telix to make the transition. The Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX) was also a critical actor in helping them establish here. Through AWEX, the company was able to access financing solutions (including grants up to €2 million) for their first building works on the facility. For their Stage 1 funding Telix was also able to secure just over €12 million through initiatives from the Walloon regional government. With support from these structures, the build-out for Telix was smooth allowing them to flourish on Belgian soil.

From a dormant site to one of Europe’s largest radiopharmaceutical production facilities

In addition to the support from AWEX and the Walloon regional government, the upcycling of the old radiopharmaceutical site cut through some of the red tape required to set up a nuclear facility, as it was already approved and adapted for radiopharmaceutical manufacturing. The shiny new facility currently boasts nine GMP lines, clean rooms, a radiopharmacy, and two cyclotrons.

Now comfortably settled into their place in Wallonia, the company is also looking to collaborate with all the actors in nuclear medicine and are hoping to expand their Walloon collaborations to other parts of the country. Linard also expresses hope in establishing projects to develop more sites in Belgium. In the nuclear medicine landscape, Telix is a pioneer showing the way and attracting more partners to further enrich the Belgian “radiopharma valley”.

Some Atomic Numbers:

• Founding year: 2015
• Sites worldwide: 8 sites (2 in Belgium) over 4 continents
• FTEs (2025): 1,200 worldwide
• Fundraising amount for TMS Seneffe: €14 million
• Awards/accreditations: 2024 Wallonia Foreign Investment Award

To find out more about the company and its work, visit https://telixpharma.com/