The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is working to develop a sustainable means of producing life-saving medical isotopes, such as molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), without using highly enriched uranium (HEU). The goal is to develop a reliable Mo-99 commercial supply network that avoids a single point-of-failure and does not use HEU. Technetium-99, the decay product of Mo-99, is a critical medical isotope used in more than 16 million diagnostic medical tests annually in the United States for the early detection of cancer, heart disease, thyroid disease and other serious conditions. When available, the material is used in more than 40,000 medical procedures per day in the United States.

There are currently only five major producers of Mo-99 in the world, with none in the U.S. Current facilities that produce Mo-99 throughout the world have experienced significant ongoing maintenance issues, which frequently cause these reactors to go offline, both for scheduled maintenance and unanticipated failures. These continuing problems were exacerbated when reactors were simultaneously down in Canada and the Netherlands earlier this year. Additionally, the Canadian government announced that it will no longer produce medical isotopes as of 2016, and the Netherlands reactor is scheduled to go offline in February 2010 for 4 to 6 months. Starting in February, both reactors will be down at the same time.

NNSA is also working to develop a secure, reliable, and diversified Mo-99 commercial production capability in the U.S. that does not utilize HEU, an effort that requires strong cooperation among government and industry. It is imperative to ensure that this critical medical isotope is readily available for the American medical community since the U.S. currently imports 100% of its Mo-99 supply from aging reactors abroad. To further this critical effort, NNSA is working on the following:

• Developing a long-term Mo-99 production capability based on the dual objectives of developing a reliable Mo-99 supply network that avoids a single point-of-failure and minimizing the use of HEU worldwide.
• Supporting the establishment of a commercial Mo-99 production capability within the U.S. by demonstrating the viability of non HEU-based technologies for large-scale production, including e.g., low-enriched uranium (LEU) targets, LEU solution reactors, neutron capture and accelerators.
• Signing cooperative agreements with commercial partners such as the Babcock & Wilcox Company and GE Hitachi.

On a related matter, the American Medical Isotopes Production Act of 2009 (H.R. 3276), which was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2009, is now pending in the U.S. Senate. If passed, this legislation would provide critical funding to help create a stable and reliable supply of medical isotopes in the U.S.

1. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) [website]. NNSA Authorizes Start-up of Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility at Y-12. January 25, 2010. Available at: http://nnsa.energy.gov/news/2804.htm. Accessed February 1, 2010.

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This entry was posted on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 12:00 pm.