Nordion Announces Phase III Clinical Trial to Evaluate TheraSphere(R) for Liver Metastases in Colorectal Cancer Patients

OTTAWA, Canada, March 23, 2011 - Nordion Inc. (TSX: NDN) (NYSE: NDZ), a leading provider of products and
services to the global health science market, today announced that it has
received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to conduct a Phase
III clinical trial for TheraSphere(R) under an Investigational Device
Exemption (IDE) to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of TheraSphere
treatment in colorectal cancer patients whose disease has metastasized to the
liver.

This randomized Phase III clinical trial, known as the EPOCH study, will
take place at up to 30 sites worldwide, with a target enrolment of
approximately 350 patients. The Principal Investigator is Dr. Mary Mulcahy of
Northwestern University in Chicago, IL.

The trial will examine a number of safety and efficacy endpoints in
patients who have developed liver tumours from colorectal cancer and who have
failed first-line chemotherapy. Participants in the treatment group will
receive both TheraSphere and second-line chemotherapy, while patients in the
control group will only receive the chemotherapy regimen. The Company intends
to design the trial to comply with all FDA and institutional review board
requirements in the U.S. and to meet all relevant regulatory requirements for
the study of an investigational device in other countries.

"The goal is to investigate whether TheraSphere used in combination with
chemotherapy can offer patient outcome advantages that are superior to those
of chemotherapy alone," explained Dr. Mulcahy.

According to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, colorectal cancer (CRC)
is the third most common cancer in both men and women. An estimated 60
percent of CRC patients will eventually develop liver tumours. Most deaths
associated with CRC are due to inoperable liver tumours.

"The EPOCH trial will help determine TheraSphere's clinical utility in
combination with chemotherapy, and further advance our knowledge about
TheraSphere's potential benefit to patients with liver metastases from
colorectal cancer," said Dr. Peter Covitz, Nordion's Senior Vice-President of
Innovation.

About TheraSphere

TheraSphere is a liver cancer therapy that consists of millions of small
glass beads (20 to 30 micrometers in diameter) containing radioactive
yttrium-90 (Y-90). The product is injected by physicians into the main artery
of the patient's liver through a catheter, which allows the treatment to be
delivered directly to the tumour via blood vessels.

TheraSphere is cleared by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
under a Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE). HDE approvals are based on
demonstrated safety and probable clinical benefit. However, effectiveness of
the indication for use has not been established.

TheraSphere treatment can generally be administered on an outpatient
basis and does not usually require an overnight hospital stay. TheraSphere,
100% reimbursed by Medicare and many commercial health insurers, is used to
treat patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and can be
used as a bridge to surgery or transplantation in these patients. It can also
be used to treat primary liver cancer patients with portal vein thrombosis.

Common side effects include mild to moderate fatigue, pain and nausea for
about a week. Physicians describe these symptoms as similar to those of the
flu. Some patients experience some loss of appetite and temporary changes in
several blood tests. For details on rare or more severe side effects, please
refer to the TheraSphere package insert at
www.nordion.com/therasphere.

About Nordion Inc.

Nordion Inc. (TSX: NDN) (NYSE: NDZ) is a global specialty health science
company that provides market-leading products used for the prevention,
diagnosis and treatment of disease. We are a leading provider of medical
isotopes, targeted therapies and sterilization technologies 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 more than 600 highly skilled employees in four locations. Find
out more at www.nordion.com.

Forward Looking Statements

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 2010 available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com
and on EDGAR on www.sec.gov.

    CONTACTS:

    MEDIA:

    Shelley Maclean
    +1(613)291-3689
    Shelley.maclean@nordion.com

    Kirsten Fallon
    Schwartz Communications
    +1(781)684-0770
    Nordion@Schwartzcomm.com

    INVESTORS:

    Ana Raman
    +1(613)595-4580
    investor.relations@nordion.com

CONTACTS: MEDIA: Shelley Maclean, +1(613)291-3689, Shelley.maclean at nordion.com ; Kirsten Fallon, Schwartz Communications, +1(781)684-0770, Nordion at Schwartzcomm.com ; INVESTORS: Ana Raman, +1(613)595-4580, investor.relations at nordion.com