NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes To Suspend Production of Mo-99

October 6, 2023

In Brief

NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes (Beloit, Wisconsin) will suspend manufacturing and commercialization of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) at the end of 2023.
Given the challenging market conditions, the company said, its Mo-99 business is no longer sustainable.
The company will shift its focus to actinium-225 (Ac-225) and copper-67 (Cu-67).
Read more.

Why It’s Important

Molybdenum-99 decays into technetium, and technetium-99m is used in more than 40,000 medical procedures each day in the U.S. to diagnose heart disease and cancer.
NorthStar is one of the primary producers of Mo-99 in the United States.

Background

The Canadian Chalk River reactor was shut down for repairs and maintenance in 2009, creating a world shortage of technetium-99m.
Subsequently, the United States passed the American Medical Isotopes Production Act (AMIPA) in 2012 with the aim of supporting domestic production of Mo-99 without the use of highly-enriched uranium.
The National Nuclear Security Administration implemented the Molybdenum-99 Program, with 50/50 cost-sharing agreements to support the establishment of a domestic supplier.
NorthStar is one of the companies that benefited from that support. The company has been producing Mo-99 for 5 years.

What SNMMI Is Doing

SNMMI has reached out and evaluated the impact, and it doesn’t appear there will be any shortage of material.

What’s Next

NorthStar will reach out to its nuclear pharmacy customers to help them transition to other suppliers and ensure continued supply.