Nordion's First Medical Isotope Sample Shipped from Russian Federation

Nordion to Initiate Evaluation Process for Russian Supplied Molybdenum-99

OTTAWA, December 23, 2010 - Nordion Inc., a leading provider of products and services to the global
health science market, today announced that its first sample of Molybdenum-99
(Mo-99) has been shipped from its Russian Federation partner, The Open Joint
Stock Company "Isotope" (Isotope).

In September 2010, Nordion entered into a supply agreement with Isotope
for a supplemental supply of Mo-99 until 2020. This recent sample of Mo-99
will be evaluated at the processing facility in Ottawa, Canada. The
qualification part of the process is necessary to obtain the product
registration and regulatory approvals before the Company can begin receiving
supply for licensed distribution.

"The shipment of this first sample of Mo-99 marks a key milestone in our
supply agreement with Isotope. In collaboration with Isotope, we look forward
to completing the evaluation and moving forward on providing our customers
with greater stability in their supply chain," said Jill Chitra, Senior
Vice-President Quality and Regulatory Affairs, Nordion. "We expect to receive
supply for shipment in the first half of fiscal 2011, which is anticipated to
arrive in time to help alleviate the impact of the planned National Research
Universal (NRU) reactor shutdown currently intended for mid-May 2011."

Nordion's Mo-99 supply agreement with Isotope provides back up supply for
the Company's customer base and is expected to improve the Company's supply
chain reliability.

In preparation for this first sample shipment, the Russian Federation
Government and Rosatom State Corporation have invested in both new and
existing infrastructure. On December 18, 2010, the first line of production
for Mo-99 was started at the Atomic Reactors Research Institute in
Dimitrovgrad, Russia.

"The launch of this production complex is an important event. The
combination of modern radiochemical production with several reactors at one
site should provide an uninterrupted supply of isotopes for the future," said
Andrey Silkin, General Director, Isotope. "With the aging population and
growing demand for diagnostics, the timing of our supply to the market is
well matched to global needs."

Medical isotopes are used by physicians to better diagnose and treat a
number of diseases, including cardiac and neurological conditions, and
several types of cancer. According to the World Nuclear Association, over
10,000 hospitals worldwide use radioisotopes in medicine, and about 90 per
cent of the procedures are for diagnosis. The most common radioisotope used
in diagnosis is technetium-99m, a derivative of Mo-99, which is utilized in
approximately 80 per cent of nuclear medical procedures worldwide - up to
70,000 every day.

About Nordion Inc.

Nordion Inc. (TSX: NDN; NYSE: NDZ) is a global health science company
that provides market-leading products and services used for the prevention,
diagnosis and treatment of disease. We are a leading provider of innovative
technologies for use in medical imaging and radiotherapeutics, and
sterilization technologies benefiting the lives of millions of people in more
than 60 countries around the world. Our products and services 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.

Backgrounder

Rosatom and Isotope

About Rosatom

Rosatom, the State Atomic Energy Corporation, is Russia's largest
utility, producing more than 40% of the electricity in Western Russia.
Rosatom ranks first in worldwide nuclear reactor construction, second in
uranium reserves, and fourth in nuclear power generation, while providing 40%
of the world's uranium enrichment services and 17% of global nuclear fuel
fabrication. Rosatom became a state corporation in 2007 and today is made up
of more than 250 enterprises and scientific institutions throughout Russia,
including civil nuclear companies, research organizations and the world's
only nuclear naval fleet. English-language website:
www.rosatom.ru/wps/wcm/connect/rosatom/rosatomsite.eng/

About The Open Joint Stock Company "Isotope" (Isotope or JSC Isotope)

Isotope serves as the link between Rosatom's isotope producers and end
users in both the Russian and international markets. Isotope's main areas of
activity include: supplying isotopes to domestic and overseas markets; sales
and marketing of products, instruments and devices for medical and commercial
use; radiation safety issues; and development of isotope technology.
English-language website: www.isotop.ru/en/company

SOURCES: Rosatom, Isotope, Nordion

For further information:

    CONTACTS:
    MEDIA:
    Shelley Maclean
    +1(613)592-3400 x. 2414
    shelley.maclean@nordion.com

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

For further information: CONTACTS: MEDIA: Shelley Maclean, +1(613)592-3400 x. 2414, shelley.maclean at nordion.com; INVESTORS: Ana Raman, +1(613)595-4580, investor.relations at nordion.com