European officials are warning that increasing demand and aging infrastructure may limit the availability of radioisotopes needed for medical imaging and advanced therapeutic treatments.
Reuters reports:
The EU is the world’s biggest producer of Molybdenum-99, a radio isotope used in 80% of all nuclear medicines procedures globally, including imaging scans to detect heart diseases and therapies to destroy cancer cells, EU data show.
But the production of Molybdenum-99 is mostly reliant on nuclear reactors located in the Netherlands and Belgium, which are getting old.
“Without replacing the currently ageing European production infrastructure, the EU will be dependant on foreign supplies,” said Michael Stibbe, Dutch Deputy Permanent Representative during a public session of a meeting of EU health ministers in Brussels.
New sources of medical radioisotope supplies are needed.
Based the United States, Nusano is a medical technology company working to expand the availability of medical radioisotopes. Nusano’s patented technologies and methods are poised to transform radioisotope production and help usher in an exciting new era in health care. Nusano’s next-generation linear accelerator technology alleviates many of the costs and hurdles posed by reactor-based production. Opening in 2025, Nusano’s state-of-the-art facility in West Valley City, Utah will produce radioisotopes quickly, efficiently and affordably. This will make desperately needed resources available to patients around the world and offer those with life-threatening diseases hope for a healthier tomorrow.
