Bayer HealthCare and Cardinal Health have signed a 15-year agreement for the contract manufacturing of Xofigo (radium Ra 223 dichloride), a radiopharmaceutical for treating prostate cancer. As part of the agreement, Cardinal Health will build a 64,000 square foot facility in Indianapolis, which will be dedicated exclusively to the manufacturing of Xofigo. Product manufactured at this facility will primarily be distributed in the United States 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 authorized 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.

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 specialized manufacturing roles, chemists, engineers and other professional positions.

Source: Cardinal Health