02 Mar Nordion Celebrates 80 Years
Ottawa ON, March 2, 2026 – Nordion, the leading global provider of Cobalt-60, proudly recognizes its 80th anniversary. Over the years, Nordion has developed a strong legacy, providing products that benefit the lives of millions of people around the world. This continued success is the result of the dedication of our team, our partners, and our customers to our mission of Safeguarding Global Health®.
For decades, Cobalt-60 has been used to sterilize single-use medical devices, destroy contaminants in food, and treat cancer with advanced therapies. But the whole journey started in 1946, when our founder Roy Errington joined the radium sales division of Eldorado Mining and Refining Ltd. and developed their radioisotopes business. Under Errington, Nordion developed one of the first teletherapy units that used Cobalt-60 to treat cancerous tumours.
Since then, that business has grown and evolved to become Nordion, the leading global provider of Cobalt-60 and a key part of the strong nuclear hub in Ottawa, Canada. Today, Cobalt-60 is used to sterilize 30% of single-use medical devices around the world, and stereotactic radiosurgery, which evolved from those first teletherapy units, remains an important non-invasive option for cancer patients. Nordion continues to deliver gamma irradiators, having built over 120 new large-scale irradiators over the course of the company’s history.
Over the years, Nordion’s global leadership has progressed to better meet global healthcare needs, and in 2025, we were granted an unprecedented 25-year licence renewal by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, a result of our proven track-record of safety, reliability and dependability.
“Nordion has a long history and has been a cornerstone of Canada’s medical isotope industry for eight decades,” says Riaz Bandali, Nordion’s President. “Our unique experience set and world-class infrastructure make us a global leader in the isotopes sector, and we will continue to build on this strong legacy for decades to come.”
About Nordion
Nordion®, a Sotera Health company, is a leading provider of medical gamma technologies used for the prevention and treatment of disease and infection. Nordion’s products are used daily by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, medical device manufacturers, hospitals, and research laboratories. Nordion supplies products to more than 40 countries and is committed to Safeguarding Global Health®.
Safeguarding Global Health® – with every Cobalt-60 source we supply.
Learn more: nordion.com.
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