February 5, 2018
NTP Radioisotopes, a subsidiary of the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (NECSA) which produces approximately 20 percent of the Mo-99 global supply, has been offline since November 2017.
Concerned that a prolonged shutdown of NTP may soon affect patient care, SNMMI has sent a letter to the South African Minister of Energy and the South African National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) requesting that they prioritize their review and approval for NTP to resume Mo-99 production. NTP says its Mo-99 processing facility and SAFARI reactor are prepared to resume production as soon as this regulatory approval is granted.