Nuclear medicine firm NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes on Wednesday received federal approval for its new molybdenum-99 application that enables a nearly fourfold increase in the production of Mo-99.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s greenlight specifically applies to NorthStar’s process of producing Mo-99 from concentrated molybdenum-98 (cMo-98). The former radioisotope is crucial for developing radiotracers used in medical imaging exams.
This marks the first and only commercial-scale application of cMo-98 technology, according to the Beloit, Wisconsin-based company.
The FDA also approved updates to NorthStar’s RadioGenix System, which is used to produce technetium-99m (Tc-99m) and required for generating Mo-99.
“This approval of production utilizing cMo-98 and the related RadioGenix System software updates is a transformational event for NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes and a key milestone in significantly increasing domestic production and capacity of non-uranium based Mo-99 for the United States,” President and CEO Stephen Merrick said in a statement.
NorthStar first partnered with the University of Missouri Research Reactor, or MURR, to begin producing Mo-99 in Columbia, Missouri. Merrick specifically thanked the facility for its help in the process.
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.