Siemens Healthineers has announced plans to invest £26m in a new radiopharmacy in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, designed to significantly increase the UK's production capacity for PET radiopharmaceuticals.
Described as the UK's first "8X" radiopharmacy, the facility will deliver up to eight times the production capacity of a conventional radiopharmacy, helping to secure long-term supplies of PET radiotracers used in diagnostic imaging.
The investment is intended to support growing demand for PET/CT scans across the NHS while improving the resilience and reliability of radiopharmaceutical supply.
The new site will house two high-energy cyclotrons, multiple GMP-compliant cleanrooms, hot cells, dedicated dispatch facilities and an extensive quality control laboratory.
Redundant production systems have also been incorporated into the design to minimise disruption and maintain continuity of supply.
Its location in Dunstable has been selected to enable same-day distribution of PET radiopharmaceuticals to imaging centres throughout the UK.
The facility will manufacture radiotracers used in PET imaging to support the diagnosis and monitoring of conditions including cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
The chosen location will support more timely delivery of tracers that have short half-lives and must be transported rapidly after manufacture.
The expansion also aims to provide capacity for emerging theranostic applications, where radioactive compounds are used for both diagnosis and targeted treatment.
In addition to increasing manufacturing capacity, the project is expected to create up to 40 highly skilled jobs spanning production, engineering, quality assurance and logistics.
The investment forms part of Siemens Healthineers' wider radiopharmaceutical strategy following the expansion of its global Radiopharma manufacturing network.
Siemens Healthineers also provided the equipment and financial backing for a private diagnostics clinic in London’s Harley Street Health District in June 2025.
The company also completed a £250m facility in North Oxfordshire in 2024 for designing and manufacturing magnets for MRI machines that make scans lighter, easier to install and more sustainable.
