Lantheus gets first LEU technetium shipments from South Africa
Lantheus Medical Imaging has launched commercial production of TechneLite, a technetium Tc-99m generator using molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) produced with low-enriched uranium (LEU) targets. The North Billerica, Mass.-based company received the first commercial scale batch from NTP Radioisotopes, a subsidiary of the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa.
Lantheus entered into an agreement with NTP in 2009 in an effort to ensure expanded access to Mo-99 and has been working closely with NTP and the Department of Energy as part of the Global Threat Reduction Initiative to drive the conversion of production of Mo-99, from the use of highly-enriched uranium (HEU) to LEU.
This marks a major accomplishment in global nuclear security and supports the United States’ non-proliferation efforts to minimize commercial use of HEU, added the company.
Lantheus entered into an agreement with NTP in 2009 in an effort to ensure expanded access to Mo-99 and has been working closely with NTP and the Department of Energy as part of the Global Threat Reduction Initiative to drive the conversion of production of Mo-99, from the use of highly-enriched uranium (HEU) to LEU.
This marks a major accomplishment in global nuclear security and supports the United States’ non-proliferation efforts to minimize commercial use of HEU, added the company.