MDS Nordion, Guerbet, and Cyceron Announce Partnership to Develop New Diagnostic Agents

Ottawa, June 24, 2010 (ots/PRNewswire) - MDS Nordion, a leading provider
of products and services to the global health science market,
Guerbet, a pharmaceutical group specialized in medical imaging, and
Cyceron, a biomedical imaging centre in France, announced today they
have entered into an agreement to develop new Positron Emission
Tomography (PET) radiotracers for cancer diagnostics. The project,
which brings together three world-class scientific teams, will
investigate a radiopharmaceutical using Gallium-68 (Ga-68) to assess
its functionality and image quality, develop a formulation to allow
preparation at an imaging clinic and evaluate commercial feasibility.

Under the terms of the agreement, MDS Nordion, Guerbet, and
Cyceron will provide complementary expertise in radiochemistry,
radiolabeling and targeted delivery of radioisotopes. Guerbet will
lead the project for its duration as the scientific coordinator. In
addition, each party will provide scientific resources and in-kind
contributions for the project.

"It is exciting that these partners, working in complementary
areas and from different nations, have deployed their efforts to
advance this technology that will ultimately benefit patients," said
Claire Corot, Vice President, Research, Guerbet. "Currently, PET
imaging agents have contributed to considerable diagnostic advances;
however, our project will investigate and determine if a Gallium-68
based radiotracer can become an additional imaging tool more widely
used by clinicians."

Support and funding of this project will be provided to Guerbet
through OSEO Innovation, under the authority of France's Ministries
of Finance, Industry, Small Businesses and Research. In addition,
Eureka - an intergovernmental initiative aimed at enhancing European
competitiveness - has assisted in facilitating access and eligibility
to national public and private funding. This project has received the
internationally recognized Eureka label indicating the organization's
full support. Cyceron is also supported by the Regional Council of
Lower Normandy, OSEO Lower Normandy and the European Regional
Development Fund.

"This project is another example of how MDS Nordion continues to
be a valued partner by leaders in the molecular imaging field," says
Peter Covitz, Senior Vice-President, Innovation, MDS Nordion. "We
believe that partnering with Guerbet and Cyceron - utilizing our
different strengths and capabilities - will further advance
technology and improve molecular imaging for the future."

"This project meets the mission of Cyceron, pooling skills,
experience, technical knowledge and financial resources to advance
technology platforms that will ultimately benefit hospitals and
research facilities," said Bernard Mazoyer, Director of Cyceron.
"Through this groundbreaking research we hope to bring new and
innovative PET imaging tracers from conceptualization to
realization."

Currently, the most common radioisotope used in PET imaging is
Fluorine-18, used to create the tracer for glucose, F-18
fluorodeoxyglucose, commonly known as FDG. However, Gallium-68 is
viewed by the research and medical communities as an important
emerging isotope for the development of new diagnostic PET tracers.
Gallium-68 is produced from a small generator rather than directly
from a cyclotron, greatly reducing the infrastructure needed to
prepare an agent for clinics.

About Guerbet

Guerbet is the only pharmaceutical group fully dedicated to
medical imaging. It has the most comprehensive range of x-ray and MRI
contrast media available worldwide. These products assist medical
professionals (radiologists, cardiologists, oncologists, etc.) in
better diagnosing and treating their patients (cardiovascular,
cancer, inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases).

To develop new products and assure its future growth, every year
Guerbet devotes significant resources to research and development
with 180 R&D employees and an amount equivalent to approximately 10
percent of sales.

Guerbet is solidly positioned in Europe with a market share of
25 percent and is expanding its presence in the United States and
Japan. Guerbet, listed on Eurolist Euronext Paris in compartment B
had sales in 2009 of (euro)335.5 million with a total workforce of
1,300 employees.

For additional information please consult:
http://www.guerbet.com.

About Cyceron

Established in 1985, Cyceron is a centre for biomedical imaging
and research in the field of neuroscience. The organization is a
public interest group, working under the aegis of the main national
institutes of research CEA, CNRS, Inserm. In addition, Cyceron has
established partnerships with the University of Caen, the University
Hospital of Caen, the François Baclesse Anti-Cancer Centre, GANIL, as
well as the Lower Normandy Region.

Cyceron is one of three advanced research centres in France that
studies Positron Emission Tomography. The organization continues to
advance its research and development programs thanks to generous
financial support from the French State, the Territorial Communities,
and the European Union (FEDER). Cyceron accommodates over 6000 m(2)
of unique and complex laboratories, with instruments for pre-clinical
and clinical research. In addition, it houses a cyclotron and
chemistry laboratories for the production of radiopharmaceuticals,
molecular and cellular biology laboratories, associated physiology
installations, positron cameras, high-resolution magnetic resonance
imaging devices, and electroencephalographic mapping devices.

Cyceron hosts the Centre for Imaging-Neuroscience and
Applications to Pathologies (CI-NAPS), a research unit that is part
of the Methodological Developments in Positron Emission Tomography
Group, headed by Louisa Barré.

For more information about Cyceron visit http://www.cyceron.fr.

About MDS

MDS Inc. is a global health science company that provides
market-leading products and services used for the prevention,
diagnosis and treatment of disease. We are a leading provider of
innovative technologies for use in medical imaging and
radiotherapeutics, and sterilization technologies benefiting the
lives of millions of people in more than 65 countries around the
world. Our products and services are used daily by pharmaceutical and
biotechnology companies, medical-device manufacturers, hospitals,
clinics and research laboratories. MDS has more than 700 highly
skilled people in five locations. Find out more at
http://www.mdsnordion.com.

For further information: MEDIA: Tamra Benjamin, +1(613)-592-3400,
ext. 1022, tamra.benjamin@mdsinc.com; INVESTORS: Ana Raman,
+1(613)-595-4580, investor.relations@mdsinc.com

ots Originaltext: MDS Inc and MDS Nordion
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
CONTACT: For further information: MEDIA: Tamra Benjamin,
+1(613)-592-3400,ext. 1022, tamra.benjamin@mdsinc.com; INVESTORS: Ana
Raman,+1(613)-595-4580,investor.relations@mdsinc.com