BWXT Medical

Nuclear medicine uses very small amounts of radioactive substances, called isotopes. When injected into a patient, they accumulate in an organ and make it visible on imaging, which helps detect heart disease or cancer. Other isotopes are used to destroy cancer cells in a targeted manner. Since these substances lose their radioactivity quickly, their production and delivery require very precise organization.

BWXT Medical was founded in 2018 following the acquisition by the U.S.-based BWX Technologies group of the medical isotopes division of Nordion, a Canadian company that had been active in this field for more than 40 years. It produces technetium-99m generators—the most widely used isotope in medical imaging—as well as custom radiopharmaceuticals and isotopes for therapeutic use.

The company has more than 250 employees and two locations: a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant covering nearly 7,400 m² in Ottawa and a production facility located at TRIUMF, the Canadian particle accelerator center, in Vancouver. Since 2018, its revenue has roughly tripled, and its product portfolio has expanded to include new therapeutic isotopes.

In August 2026, BWX Technologies announced the sale of this business to Nordic Capital, an investor specializing in healthcare, while retaining a minority stake. The goal: to give BWXT Medical the resources to accelerate its growth in nuclear medicine treatments.

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