JSE and A2X-listed Life Healthcare Group, announced yesterday that it was set to acquire TheraMed Nuclear’s non-clinical imaging operations in Gauteng, in a bid to continue with its South African diversification strategy.
The group declined to disclose how much the acquisition would cost, but said the transaction would be finalised mid-year.
TheraMed Nuclear is a nuclear medicine and molecular imaging business offering advanced-technology medical scanning services for the detection and treatment of diseases, such as organ dysfunction and cancer.
Southern Africa Life Healthcare CEO Adam Pyle said: “The acquisition further entrenches our commitment to investing in medical imaging in South Africa, with our capability now extending into nuclear and molecular imaging.
“As part of this journey, we plan to drive improved accessibility for clinicians and their patients in the earlier detection and more accurate treatment planning for cancer patients across the country”.
In its 2022 integrated report, the group said it had a strategy for moving oncology care forward.
According to the group, the move complements the joint venture with AXIM announced in 2021 to develop two cyclotrons in South Africa, which would improve the stability of the radiotracer supply. These nuclear medicine machines produce protons for nuclear research or radiation treatment, which is often used in cancer patients.
“This first nuclear-medicine acquisition for Life Healthcare serves to complement the expansion of our oncology services and furthers the growth in our non-acute business, following our acquisitions of the non-clinical operations of East Coast Radiology and Eugene Marais Radiology,” Pyle said.
The group said similar to PET-CT, the sister modality SPECT was a nuclear medicine imaging technique, which used a radiotracer and a special camera to create 3D pictures of internal organs.
“SPECT provides a three-dimensional picture of both physiological and pathological processes. These 3D images can be superimposed on an anatomical image from a CT scanner, providing information about lesion location, and the shape and size of organs and tissues, rather than just their function. These fused modalities such as PET-CT and SPECT-CT form part of Hybrid Imaging,” the group said.
The PET-CT scans use a low dose of radioactive nuclear medicine injectables (radiopharmaceuticals) to check the activity or metabolic processes of cells in different parts of the body and can give more detailed information about cancer or abnormal areas compared to X-rays, CT scans or MRI scans alone.
Life Healthcare group chief medical officer Mark Ferreira said: “PET-CT scans are important to help clinicians determine if a tumour may be cancerous, whether cancer has spread to other parts of the body or how well treatment is working."
TheraMed Nuclear operates three sites in Gauteng in association with one of the largest multisite diagnostic radiology practices in South Africa, which will continue to provide associated clinical radiology services going forward.
The acquisition process will see all infrastructure, equipment, and staff employed at TheraMed Nuclear being transferred to Life Healthcare.
The purchase forms part of the Life Healthcare group’s broader South African diagnostics strategy which includes diagnostic imaging and nuclear medicine, the group said.
“We believe that including imaging and diagnostics within our business operations align well with our core operating model and strategic objectives.
“In time, we hope our efforts will expand access to quality care for all South Africans, especially critical care of oncology patients.”
TheraMed’s Nuclear Medicine physician George Bennie, said: “This is an opportunity to promote greater access to early diagnosis and appropriate care – which will save lives.
“Having served these communities for many years, I am encouraged by Life Healthcare’s vision for nuclear medicine which is aligned with ours,” he said.
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