Nordion Signs Contract Manufacturing Agreement with Navidea Biopharmaceuticals

Nordion Inc. (TSX: NDN) (NYSE: NDZ), a leading provider of products and services to the global health science market, today announced it has signed a contract manufacturing agreement with Navidea Biopharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company focused on precision diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals.

Under terms of the agreement, Nordion will manufacture [I] NAV5001 a diagnostic imaging agent used to detect Parkinsonian Syndromes and Dementia with Lewy Bodies. The scope of the agreement includes two phases: a facility preparation and readiness phase and a clinical trial supply phase. The manufacture of NAV5001 is expected to support Navidea’s Phase 2b and Phase 3 clinical trials slated to begin in 2013, with this agreement extending over an initial three-year term. Nordion is also responsible for managing the logistics and making arrangements for shipment of NAV5001 to third-party clinical trial sites on behalf of Navidea. Nordion is planning to manufacture NAV5001 at the Company’s Vancouver, B.C. operations.

“We are pleased to be able to work with biopharmaceutical firms such as Navidea and support the progress of their clinical trials through the use of our expertise and service capabilities in clinical supply manufacturing. This agreement underlines Nordion’s competency in contract manufacturing and providing customized solutions to efficiently bring products to market,” said Tom Burnett, General Manager, Medical Isotopes, Nordion.

“Nordion’s world-class expertise in the production of I and proven core competency in global logistics will enable us to continue to drive forward our NAV5001 clinical programs in the differential diagnosis of Parkinsonian Syndromes and Dementia with Lewy Bodies,” said Thomas Tulip, PhD, Navidea’s President and Chief Business Officer.

Navidea Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE MKT: NAVB) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of precision diagnostics and radiopharmaceutical agents. Navidea is actively developing four radiopharmaceutical agent platforms – Lymphoseek, NAV4694, NAV5001 and RIGScan – to help identify the sites and pathways of undetected disease and enable better diagnostic accuracy, clinical decision-making and, ultimately, patient care. Navidea’s strategy is to deliver superior growth and shareholder return by bringing to market novel radiopharmaceutical agents and advancing the Company’s pipeline through selective acquisitions, global partnering and commercialization efforts. For more information, please visit .

Nordion Inc. (TSX: NDN) (NYSE: NDZ) is a global health science company that provides market-leading products used for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease. We are a leading provider of targeted therapies, sterilization technologies, and medical isotopes that benefit the lives of millions of people in more than 60 countries around the world. Our products are used daily by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, medical-device manufacturers, hospitals, clinics and research laboratories. Nordion has approximately 500 highly skilled employees worldwide. Find out more at and follow us at .

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements". These statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions of management, however are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this news release. For additional information with respect to certain of these beliefs, assumptions, risks and uncertainties, please refer to Nordion’s Annual Information Form for fiscal 2012 available on SEDAR at and on EDGAR on .