The atomic medicine assemblage should beryllium advised that determination is an impending shortage of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99)/technetium-99m (Tc-99m), according to a connection shared by Nuclear Medicine Europe (NMEU).
In a gathering held connected Oct. 28, the NMEU Emergency Response Team (ERT) was informed that a mechanical nonaccomplishment was discovered astatine the BR2 reactor, located successful Belgium, during inspections. For this reason, the investigations indispensable continue, and the reactor’s restart day is being delayed. It volition not resume operations until Nov. 18 astatine the earliest.
Inevitably, this volition effect successful disruptions successful the proviso of Mo-99 and Tc-99m—medical radioisotopes that are important to the tract of atomic medicine—until astatine slightest the extremity of November. According to an estimation by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), Tc-99m is utilized successful astir 50,000 aesculapian procedures per time successful the United States alone.
Compounding the consequences of the mechanical failure, successful August, NMEU announced a planned outage astatine 1 of the reactors that produces I-131—a by-product of Mo-99 production. Stakeholders were informed that this outage could periodically disrupt the proviso of the isotope from September 2022 done February 2023. This latest find astatine the BR2 reactor could exacerbate that shortage further, the NMEU connection indicates.
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