Cardinal Health to contract manufacture Bayer's Xofigo in US

Bayer HealthCare and Cardinal Health on December 18, 2014, have signed a 15-year agreement for the contract manufacturing of Xofigo (radium Ra 223 dichloride).  As part of the agreement, Cardinal Health will build a state-of-the art, 64,000 square foot facility in Indianapolis (USA) to exclusively manufacture Xofigo, which will primarily be distributed in the US and Canada.
 
The manufacturing facility will be built near and leverage the capabilities and talent of Cardinal Health's existing Indianapolis radiopharmacy, which is one of the two US locations authorised by Bayer HealthCare to distribute Xofigo. Cardinal Health is the sole distributor of Xofigo in the US.
 
Xofigo is an alpha-particle-emitting radioactive therapeutic agent for the treatment of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), symptomatic bone metastases and no known visceral metastatic disease. Bayer HealthCare is developing and marketing Xofigo worldwide. The current manufacturing site in Norway will continue to be responsible for global supply of the product.
 
“This new agreement presents us with an excellent opportunity to leverage our unmatched expertise in the nuclear pharmacy industry to expand access to a therapeutic agent. We look forward to continuing to strengthen our relationship with Bayer HealthCare, and to developing innovative services to expand the use of radiopharmaceuticals in the US and Canada," said Tiffany Olson, president of Cardinal Health's Nuclear Pharmacy Services business.
 
Bayer had started the preparations for a second manufacturing site soon after the first marketing authorization for Xofigo was obtained in May 2013. The new Cardinal Health manufacturing facility, slated for completion in 2017, will be built and equipped for the unique manufacturing needs of Xofigo. It will be supported by approximately 85 employees, including specialised manufacturing roles, chemists, engineers and other professional positions.
 
"Cardinal Health has played a pivotal role in distributing Xofigo to medical facilities since the product's launch in the US in May 2013. Cardinal Health's proven track record in radiopharmaceuticals and their experience with Xofigo make them a formidable choice for helping to expand our manufacturing capabilities in North America," said Shannon Campbell, vice president and general manager of oncology, Bayer HealthCare.