Amid the ongoing global shortage of medical isotopes, there is at least some good news: two European research reactors have been fired up again and will be delivering molybdenum-99 and iodine-131 isotopes. In addition, a new reactor to produce Mo-99 through a new method has also been completed in the US and is awaiting testing and certification.
Mo-99 is the world’s most important medical diagnostic radioisotope precursor, and is the parent isotope of technetium-99m (Tc-99m). Tc-99m is used in more than 40-million diagnostic procedures each year. The production of this isotope is acutely vulnerable to supply chain disruption and much of the machinery used to produce it is ageing. South African nuclear corporation NTP also produces a small amount of the isotope locally at its Pelindaba facility.
Nuclear Medicine Europe (NMEU) was notified that the LVR-15 reactor resumed operations on Friday morning November 18 and the first irradiated targets from it are being processed today November 23rd. In addition, NMEU was notified that the HFR reactor resumed operations on November 23 and achieved full power operation at 14:30 CET.
The Mo-99 global supply situation will largely return to normal within the next 7-10 days with the I-131 supply situation returning to normal within two weeks, according to NMEU’s predictions. NMEU will provide further communication to the nuclear medicine community as developments warrant.
At the new production facility in the US, the isotope manufacturer NorthStar will produce Mo-99 through a new method, based on irradiation of molybdenum-100 targets using electron accelerators. This will be the first facility in the world to produce commercial-scale Mo-99 using this technology. The facility also includes new, high-capacity equipment for processing and packaging Mo-99 for distribution to radiopharmacies and hospitals.
