NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes LLC has signed an agreement with Triad Isotopes Inc to establish the first commercially viable US source of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), the most widely used radioisotope in medical diagnostic imaging. Under the agreement, NorthStar will work with Triad Isotopes to bring non-uranium-based Mo-99 produced with its proprietary RadioGenix isotope separation system to market. NorthStar, is developing a US source of Mo-99 produced without the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) to help alleviate chronic shortages of the vital medical isotope. Mo-99 is the parent isotope of technetium-99m (Tc-99m), which is used in millions of nuclear medicine procedures annually. Key applications include myocardial perfusion imaging, sentinel node mapping, hepatobiliary imaging and inflammation and infection imaging. Currently, almost all Mo-99 is produced using highly enriched uranium at aging facilities located outside of the United States, leading to product shortages. NorthStar has two methods of producing Mo-99 without using highly enriched uranium, both of which produce only a benign waste stream.
NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes LLC
Madison, WI, USA