Intermountain Health and PharmaLogic Partner on Leading Edge Medical Imaging for Patients

Intermountain Health and PharmaLogic are partnering to build a new cyclotron facility that will produce radiopharmaceuticals, which are used to diagnose certain medical conditions or treat various types of cancer. This technology is vital in bringing some of the most critical advances in healthcare to the region.

The new facility in Murray will ensure more of these products are available locally to be used for a wide range of imaging applications for certain cancers and other ailments involving the heart and brain.

Unlike an MRI or x-ray which provides a still image, PET-CT imaging, which uses radiopharmaceuticals, allows doctors to see the anatomical and physiological function of the body.

“Radiopharmaceuticals allow us to see how blood is moving through the heart or the brain which provides precise diagnostic information to the care team,” said Jayson Argyle, vice president of imaging at Intermountain Health. “One of the biggest advantages to this technology is that cancer cells easily absorb radioisotopes which makes it easier to spot where cancer is in the body.”

The radiation exposure from a PET-CT scan is minimal because of how quickly the radiopharmaceuticals move through the body. In the canyons region the expense to have these medications flown in for certain cases has been high. Having production nearby will ensure they’re available for more patients and at a more affordable cost.

“Increasing patient access to the latest advances in diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals is of utmost importance to us as an organization,” said D. Scott Holbrook, chief strategy officer and general manager for PharmaLogic. “The construction of this facility will undoubtedly improve the availability of novel radiopharmaceuticals for the local community and greater Canyons Region.”

Radiopharmaceuticals have been used in healthcare for decades, but older machines can’t always make the newest material required for the production of new drugs. The facility that PharmaLogic and Intermountain are building will produce state-of-the-art imaging agents that are more specific to someone’s disease.

“Patients will be able to receive PET-CT imaging that wasn’t previously available in our region,” said Argyle. “When you have access to the latest radiopharmaceuticals it also means you can take part in leading edge research which can change the face of medicine.”

The new facility is expected to begin production in 2024.

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a not-for-profit system of 34 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.