HONG KONG, Apr 22, 2025 - (ACN Newswire) – In recent years, with the launch of top-level design for nuclear medicines and the implementation of supporting policies, the domestic nuclear medicine industry has ushered in a golden period of development. According to the data analysis of BCC Research, there will be a growth in the global nuclear medicine market from $12.6 billion in 2023 to $21 billion by the end of 2029, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.29% during the forecast period from 2024 to 2029. Meanwhile, Medraysintell, a market intelligence agency specializing in radiotherapy and nuclear medicine, predicts that there will be a growth of about $30 billion in the global nuclear medicine market in 2030.

As a leading nuclear medicine company in China, CIRC (01763.HK) recently disclosed its annual report for 2024 as of December 31st. In 2024, CIRC achieved a remarkable growth in revenue and net profit, which not only delivered a satisfactory answer on the performance level, but also showed a strong technical transformation capability in nuclear medicine research and development.

Year-by-year growth facilitated nuclear medical equipment to become a new engine

According to the financial data, CIRC achieved revenue of RMB 7.575 billion in 2024, with a year-on-year increase of 14.2%, and the net profit of RMB 880 million, with a year-on-year increase of 13.3%.

From the perspective of branch business, all fields have blossomed in an all-round way. As the core pillar of the company, the nuclear medicine business achieved revenue of RMB 4.168 billion, accounting for 55% of the total revenue. Among them, the income of imaging diagnosis and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals increased by 4.1% year-on-year, and the distribution of medical centers all over the country achieved remarkable results. The income of Technetium-labeled medicines increased by 8.7% year-on-year. The breath test business continued to maintain a stable high market share, achieving revenue of RMB 2.35 billion, by a year-on-year increase of 1.1%.

It is worth noting that in 2024, CIRC accelerated the localization of high-end radiotherapy equipment, and nuclear medical equipment and related services became the new engine of growth, with revenue reaching RMB 1.223 billion, a year-on-year increase of 31.0%. The new generation of Precision radiation therapy planning system was successfully approved for medical device registration certificate, and the world’s first spiral tomotherapy system, Tomo C, was delivered to Shandong Cancer Hospital for installation, which was successfully selected intothe 2024 high-end medical equipment promotion and application project of two ministries and commissions (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology/National Health Commission) and Tianjin First (Set) Major Technical Equipment Promotion and Application Guidance Catalog (Version 2024), with sales during the year leading in the domestic market.

CIRC recorded RMB 716.1 million in revenue from radioactive source products, representing a year-on-year increase of 22.2%. Gamma knife source and non-destructive testing radioactive source continued to maintain a stable and high market share. CNNC Qinshan Isotope successfully obtained the Class A radiation safety license, and the cobalt-60 radioactive source production line delivered 2 million curies.

40-year solid accumulation in nuclear technology laid a solid foundation

As the main body of the nuclear technology application industry of CNNC, CIRC has been accumulated in the industry for over 40 years, forming a “6+N” industrial layout with six major businesses as the core, including nuclides, nuclear medicines, nuclear medical equipment, integrated solution for nuclear medicine, radioactive source and application, and irradiation application. During the Reporting Period, CIRC achieved 224 patent authorizations, with a total of 969 valid patents, and continued to maintain the leading position of the R&D investment intensity in the industry.

In the field of nuclear medicine research and development, CIRC has demonstrated a strong technical capability from research results turned into technologies. Sodium fluorine-18 injection obtained the drug registration certificate from the National Medical Products Administration and was approved for marketing, filling the market gap of PET diagnostic imaging agent in the field of bone imaging in China. Iodine-131-MIBG injection is close to the end of Phase III clinical trial. After the drug is launched, it will provide a new diagnostic method for neuroendocrine tumors such as pheochromocytoma and neuroblastoma. It is worth noting that CIRC has proactively laid out integrated diagnosis and treatment drugs, and the research and development of Lutetium-177oxyoctreotide injection is progressing smoothly, marking a strategic upgrade from simple diagnosis to precise diagnosis and treatment.

In addition to stabilizing the base of nuclear medicine, CIRC has gradually increased its emphasis on nuclear medical equipment. According to the sales data in recent years, the income of nuclear medical equipment has steadily increased. In 2024, a new generation of Gamma Knife was approved, which integrated CBCT image guidance, six-dimensional bed auto-correction, and other intelligent technologies, and the treatment efficiency was improved by 30%. In the Class A large-scale medical equipment market, CIRC occupies an absolute dominant position through its holding subsidiary, CNNC ACCURAY. In February this year, 19 of the 28 high-end radiotherapy equipment in the second round of Class A large-scale medical equipment licensing list released by the National Health Commission came from CNNC ACCURAY, accounting for 68% of the market. It is worth noting that the breakthroughs in the fields of Cobalt-60-based Stereotactic Therapy System also promote the localization of radiotherapy equipment.

Facing the explosive growth of the nuclear medicine market, CIRC Accelerated Pharmaceutical Center continues to expand its nationwide network layout. In 2024, a new positron emission drug production line has been added in Lanzhou, with a total of 23 lines put into operation; Newly added Fuzhou Technetium Drug Production Line, with a total of 27 units put into operation. CIRC has built the first 10,000 Curie level lutetium-177 production line and a thousand level germanium-gallium [68Ge-68Ga] generator production line in the country, achieving a breakthrough in the localization of high-end nuclides.

It is worth noting that CIRC has created a hierarchical innovation ecosystem through the "Parent-Subsidiary Collaboration" model. In 2024, its subsidiaries, CNNC HEADWAY (breath test) and CNNC Chengdu Gaotong (nuclide), were awarded the national level specialized, refined, and new "little giants" enterprise, bringing the total number of specialized, refined, and new enterprises under CIRC to 18. Among them, CNNC HEADWAY dominates the breath testing market with its integrated solution of "medicine box+instrument", while CNNC Chengdu Gaotong has become a benchmark in the field of nuclear technology application through its full chain layout of "Nuclide-Drug-Equipment". This innovative system, resembling an "Aircraft carrier battle group", provides sustainable momentum for the company's long-term growth.

Expanding Development Space with Globalization Layout

As the main force of CNNC Group's march towards people's life and health science and technology and the main channel for the transformation of advanced nuclear science and technology achievements, CIRC responds to the Group's "Overall&Coordination" internationalization strategy and the national "the Belt and Road" initiative, vigorously promotes the internationalization strategy and constantly expands overseas markets. By 2024, the export revenue will reach RMB 627 million, and the products will be exported to dozens of countries and regions such as Brazil, Peru, and Nigeria.

At the beginning of this year, we successfully signed a contract for the supply of equipment for a million curies design source gamma irradiation station in Bangladesh. This is another equipment supply project for irradiation stations that has landed after winning the bid for the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture's design source gamma irradiation station project in 2024. After its completion and operation, the irradiation station will mainly serve the irradiation sterilization of medical products in Bangladesh, significantly improving the quality level and production processing capacity of local medical products, assisting the development of Bangladesh's medical industry, and benefiting local people's livelihoods.

In Nigeria, CIRC successfully signed a contract for the overall supply of nuclear medical equipment, achieving the first successful landing of the Group's nuclear medical equipment overall supply project. In addition, CIRC actively expands into the ASEAN market and successfully exports cold chain drugs to Thailand; We have also signed strategic cooperation agreements with multiple entities in Brazil to support the signing of a memorandum of understanding on strategic cooperation in the field of nuclear technology applications between the National Atomic Energy Agency and Brazil.

Conclusion

Against the backdrop of policy support and sustained market demand, CIRC stated to focus on the "Do as the Demard of the Country" and further deepen the coordinated development of nuclear medicine and high-end equipment around the "Healthy China" strategic framework. According to its 2025 plan, key projects such as Qinshan Isotope Base, Phase I of Jiajiang Radioactive Source Base, and Phase I of North China Pharmaceutical Base will be promoted according to milestones, involving nuclide production, radioactive source manufacturing, and pharmaceutical supply chain layout. At the same time, CIRC will enhance its digital diagnosis and treatment service capabilities through the iteration of smart nuclear medicine projects, and plans to launch no less than 3 intelligent systems within this year.

At the international level, CIRC will continue the market expansion strategy along the "the Belt and Road", rely on the existing business models such as radiation station equipment export, nuclear medical equipment overall solution output, focus on the cooperation in South America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and other regional markets, and further improve the global market penetration rate in the future or through localized cooperation.

The management of the Company stated that in 2025, CIRC will continue to strengthen technological innovation, improve the modern industrial system, accelerate the cultivation and development of new quality productivity, continuously enhance core functions, improve core competitiveness, and accelerate the establishment of an internationally-renowned supply group of technology, product and service in isotope and radiation.

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