On Oct. 8, 2014, Ohio State University, Cardinal Health and State of Ohio Third Frontier Commission announced completion of a five-year-long project to create a new, $13 million molecular imaging pharmaceuticals center that aimed to shape the future of the medical diagnostic industry.

The state-of-the-art, 27,000-square-foot facility – called the Translational Research Center for Molecular Imaging Pharmaceuticals at the Wright Center of Innovation in Biomedical Imaging – will combine Ohio State’s Wright Center of Innovation in Biomedical Imaging’s research capabilities with Cardinal Health’s developmental, manufacturing and commercialization expertise for molecular imaging agents.

The facility will research and produce specialized pharmaceuticals called “imaging agents,” which are injected into the body and seek out particular cellular functions that are indicative of specific disease processes. These imaging agents are visible using sophisticated imaging equipment, and help aid in both the diagnosis and treatment of diseases including cancer, cardiovascular and neurological disorders.

The facility is located on Ohio State’s west campus, in close proximity to its Wexner Medical Center, Veterinary Medical Center, West Campus Technology and Incubator facilities – with the ultimate goal of ensuring the new facility is fully integrated into key infrastructure at Ohio State.

The new molecular imaging technology center will provide Ohio State researchers with unique manufacturing capabilities and expertise to aid in their research and creation of new molecular imaging agents in Positron Emission Tomography, also known as PET imaging. As new imaging pharmaceuticals move through the drug approval pipeline, Cardinal Health will also support their development, manufacturing and dispensing for clinical drug trials in Ohio and across its national network of radiopharmaceutical facilities.