Sri Lanka’s first locally-made PET scan isotope helps lung cancer patient recover fully

• For the past 13 years, Sri Lanka relied entirely on FDG imported from India, with the compound’s short half-life posing a persistent logistical challenge, as it would begin decaying in transit and often reach patients with reduced potency
• With local production now established, PET scan costs are expected to fall by up to four times
• Foreign exchange previously spent on FDG imports is also expected to be saved
• Access Engineering PLC, whose core business spans civil and mechanical engineering, financed and facilitated the initiative

By Nishel Fernando   

Sri Lanka has produced Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), the radioactive isotope essential for PET scan cancer diagnosis, domestically for the first time, under a public-private partnership between the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Authority and Access Engineering PLC, Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced.   

In an early sign of the initiative’s impact, a lung cancer patient who underwent seven cycles of chemotherapy showed a full recovery on a PET scan using the first locally produced batch of FDG, the Minister said.   

For the past 13 years, Sri Lanka relied entirely on FDG imported from India, with the compound’s short half-life posing a persistent logistical challenge, as it would begin decaying in transit and often reach patients with reduced potency, Minister Jayatissa said in a statement announcing the milestone. Trials using the domestically produced compound are currently under way at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, one of two state hospitals equipped with PET scan machines, the other being the Apeksha (National Cancer) Hospital.  

With local production now established, PET scan costs are expected to fall by up to four times, the Minister said, while capacity at the National Hospital could rise from around 10 patients a week to between 30 and 35. Foreign exchange previously spent on FDG imports is also expected to be saved, and plans are under way to expand PET scan sessions at the Apeksha National Hospital from one day a week to three.   

Access Engineering PLC, whose core business spans civil and mechanical engineering, financed and facilitated the initiative through its diversification into the radiopharmaceutical sector, marking a significant departure from the group’s traditional construction and infrastructure operations. 

According to the company’s Annual Report 2025/26, its radiopharmaceutical venture, Access Medical Tracers, completed construction and commenced operations during the financial year, positioning the group in cancer diagnostics support.   

The launch event was attended by Minister Jayatissa, National Hospital of Sri Lanka Deputy Director General Dr. Sampath Indika Kumara, Deputy Director and specialist Dr. Pradeep Rathnasekara, specialist Dr. Indika Jagoda, Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Authority Director General Mahesh Gammanpila, and Access Engineering PLC Chairman Sumal Perera and Director Shamal Perera, along with other specialist doctors, medical officers and nursing staff.