Sirtex
Australian medical-device company known for SIR-Spheres radioactive microspheres used in selective internal radiation therapy for liver cancer.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Sirtex Medical Limited is an Australian medical-device company established in 1997 and best known for SIR-Spheres, radioactive microspheres used in selective internal radiation therapy, commonly abbreviated as SIRT. The company developed its business around a targeted form of liver-directed cancer treatment for patients whose tumors could not be treated adequately through conventional surgery or other approaches. SIR-Spheres are microscopic beads containing yttrium-90, a radioactive isotope. During treatment, an interventional radiologist introduces a catheter through the femoral artery and guides it into the hepatic artery supplying the tumor. The microspheres are then infused into the tumor’s vascular network. Their small size allows them to lodge preferentially in tumor-feeding vessels, delivering localized beta radiation while limiting exposure to surrounding tissue. The beads have a reported physical half-life of approximately 64 hours, and the infusion itself is generally brief, although patient selection, imaging, and preparatory angiography are important parts of the treatment pathway. Sirtex positioned SIR-Spheres as a specialized interventional-oncology product rather than as a general radiation-therapy brand. Its principal clinical focus included unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer in the liver and primary liver cancers such as hepatocellular carcinoma. The company’s activities extended beyond manufacturing: it supported clinical research, physician training, regulatory submissions, reimbursement work, and the establishment of treatment-center networks. The product was supplied in multiple international markets, with offices and manufacturing capabilities reported in the United States, Australia, Germany, and Singapore. The product received authorization for sale in the United States in March 2002 and obtained European CE Mark approval in October 2002. In the United States, SIR-Spheres were reimbursed through Medicare using code C2616. Australian patients could receive reimbursement through private insurers and Medicare-related arrangements, while access in the United Kingdom historically involved a mixture of private payment, insurance, donations, and limited National Health Service funding. Reimbursement and clinical-evidence requirements were therefore important strategic issues for the company. Sirtex also pursued research into expanding microsphere technology. Projects described in company and reference materials included targeted hyperthermia, hollow biodegradable microspheres intended to carry therapeutic agents, and radioprotector compounds designed to reduce radiation effects. Clinical-development programs included the MORE analyses and the SIRFLOX study, which examined SIR-Spheres in colorectal-cancer liver metastases, including potential use alongside first-line chemotherapy. The company became publicly traded on the Australian Securities Exchange under the code SRX. It was acquired in 2018 by China Grand Pharmaceutical and CDH Genetech, associated with CDH Investments, and subsequently removed from the ASX. The delisting took effect on September 24, 2018. The acquisition changed Sirtex from a listed Australian company into a privately owned medical-technology business. Wikipedia identifies Kevin R. Smith as having become chief executive officer on October 16, 2019. Sirtex’s corporate identity has consequently been associated primarily with its SIR-Spheres platform and its role in the international development of liver-directed radiotherapy.
History
Sirtex was founded in Australia in 1997 to develop medical technologies based on radioactive microspheres. Its principal commercial product became SIR-Spheres, yttrium-90 resin microspheres designed for selective internal radiation therapy of liver tumors. The treatment uses the liver’s arterial blood supply to deliver radiation directly to tumor sites. A catheter is inserted through the femoral artery, advanced into the hepatic artery, and used to infuse the microspheres. Once lodged in tumor-feeding vessels, the beads provide localized beta radiation over the short radioactive lifetime of yttrium-90. The company’s development strategy reflected the complexity of interventional oncology. Success depended not only on the device itself, but also on radiological technique, patient selection, hospital infrastructure, radiation-safety procedures, clinical evidence, and reimbursement. Sirtex therefore worked with interventional radiologists, oncology centers, academic institutions, and health systems as it expanded access to the treatment. SIR-Spheres received United States authorization for sale in March 2002. The product also received European CE Mark approval in October 2002. Its principal indications and commercial attention centered on unresectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer and primary liver malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma. In colorectal cancer, the liver is a frequent site of metastatic disease, and many patients are not candidates for curative surgical resection. Sirtex presented SIRT as a liver-directed option for selected patients, either as an alternative to or in combination with other treatment approaches. International expansion followed. Sirtex maintained offices and manufacturing operations in the United States, Australia, Germany, and Singapore, and sought regulatory and reimbursement access across North America, Europe, Australia, and the Asia-Pacific region. In the United States, Medicare reimbursement used code C2616. Australian access involved private insurance and Medicare-related reimbursement arrangements. In the United Kingdom, treatment historically relied on self-funding, private insurance, company donations, or limited NHS approval, while clinical guidance and evidence requirements influenced broader public funding. Sirtex invested in clinical research to assess both the safety and effectiveness of SIRT. The MORE program generated analyses of treatment outcomes, including outcomes in older patients and attempts to identify predictors of treatment success using standard laboratory measurements. The international SIRFLOX study completed patient recruitment in 2013 and evaluated SIR-Spheres in the first-line management of colorectal-cancer liver metastases. Presentations associated with these studies were reported at major oncology meetings including ASCO and ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium. The company also investigated ways to extend the underlying platform. Research areas included targeted hyperthermia, in which heating might increase treatment effectiveness; hollow biodegradable microspheres for delivery of chemotherapy or other agents; and radioprotector technology intended to reduce radiation-related tissue effects. These projects involved institutions such as the Australian National University, the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales, and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. The materials describe these efforts as research and development programs rather than as established commercial product lines. Sirtex was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange under the ticker SRX. In 2013, it reported strong commercial growth, including approximately AU$100 million in global revenue and AU$18 million in net profit after tax for the year ended June 30, alongside increased dose sales in several regions. The company also planned manufacturing-capacity expansion in Germany and the United States. In 2018, China Grand Pharmaceutical and CDH Genetech acquired Sirtex in a transaction associated with CDH Investments. Following the acquisition, Sirtex was delisted from the ASX, with the delisting taking effect on September 24, 2018. This ended the company’s period as a publicly listed Australian medical-device issuer but did not end the Sirtex operating brand. Kevin R. Smith was appointed chief executive officer on October 16, 2019. The brand remains principally identified with SIR-Spheres and liver-directed radiotherapy.
- 2019
Kevin R. Smith became CEO
[1]Kevin R. Smith was appointed chief executive officer on October 16, 2019.
- 2018
Acquisition and ASX delisting
[1]China Grand Pharmaceutical and CDH Genetech acquired Sirtex, and the company was delisted from the ASX on September 24, 2018.
- 2013
SIRFLOX recruitment completed
[1]The global SIRFLOX study completed patient recruitment to evaluate SIR-Spheres in first-line treatment of colorectal-cancer liver metastases.
- 2013
Reported commercial growth
[1]Sirtex reported AU$100 million in revenue and AU$18 million in net profit after tax for the year ended June 30, 2013, together with regional dose-sales growth.
- 2009
Targeted-hyperthermia research prepared
[1]Sirtex and academic collaborators began preparing preclinical work examining whether heating tumors could enhance SIR-Spheres treatment.
- 2002
United States authorization for SIR-Spheres
[1]SIR-Spheres were approved for sale in the United States in March 2002.
- 2002
European CE Mark approval
[1]SIR-Spheres received CE Mark approval in October 2002 under the European medical-device framework described in the reference material.
- 1997
Sirtex founded in Australia
[1]Sirtex was established as an Australian medical-device company focused on radioactive microsphere technology.
Products and positioning
Specialist interventional-oncology company focused on targeted liver-directed radiotherapy for inoperable or unresectable liver tumors.
Radioactive microspheres
SIR-Spheres
SIR-Spheres are tiny yttrium-90 resin microspheres used in selective internal radiation therapy. A trained interventional radiologist delivers them through a catheter into the hepatic artery, allowing the beads to lodge in tumor-feeding vessels and provide localized beta radiation. Sirtex developed the product primarily for selected patients with unresectable liver tumors, including metastatic colorectal cancer in the liver and primary liver cancer. Treatment requires specialized imaging, vascular planning, radiation handling, and multidisciplinary oncology care.
Drug-delivery research platform
Hollow biodegradable microsphere technology
Sirtex held exclusive worldwide rights to hollow, biodegradable microsphere technology developed at the University of New South Wales. The company investigated whether these microspheres could deliver chemotherapy and other therapeutic agents. The reference material describes this as a research and development platform rather than a confirmed commercial product.
Radiation-protection research
Radioprotector technology
Sirtex and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre developed a compound intended to protect skin and other tissues from radiation exposure. The work was presented as having possible applications in SIR-Spheres treatment and in external-beam radiotherapy for cancers including head, neck, and breast cancer.
Brand decisions
2018
Accept acquisition by China Grand Pharmaceutical and CDH GenetechM&ABackground
Sirtex was a publicly listed Australian medical-device company whose principal commercial asset was the SIR-Spheres liver-directed radiotherapy platform.
Action taken
China Grand Pharmaceutical and CDH Genetech acquired Sirtex in a transaction associated with CDH Investments, followed by removal from the ASX.
Aftermath
The ASX delisting became effective on September 24, 2018, ending Sirtex’s status as a listed Australian company while the operating brand continued under private ownership.
2013
Expand manufacturing capacityStrategyBackground
Sirtex reported increased SIR-Spheres dose sales across the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Action taken
The company announced plans to triple manufacturing capacity through new facilities in Germany and the United States.
Aftermath
The reference material does not provide the final capacity delivered or the later operating results of the expansion.
Global revenue. AU$100 million (Year ended June 30, 2013)
Recent events
- 2019
Kevin R. Smith appointed chief executive officer[1]
Leadership change
Kevin R. Smith was appointed CEO of Sirtex on October 16, 2019, according to the company’s Wikipedia reference entry.
- 2018
Sirtex acquired and delisted from the Australian Securities Exchange[1]
M&A · Other
China Grand Pharmaceutical and CDH Genetech acquired Sirtex, after which the company left the ASX. The delisting became effective on September 24, 2018.
- 2013
Sirtex reports growth in SIR-Spheres dose sales and revenue[1]
Other
Sirtex reported that global revenue reached approximately AU$100 million for the year ended June 30, 2013, with net profit after tax of about AU$18 million. The announcement also described regional dose-sales growth and plans to expand manufacturing capacity.
Sources4 sources
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