Expert panel praises Mo-99 manufacturers, says supply is ‘secure, reliable’
Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) supplies are “secure and reliable,” according to a panel at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SMNNI) 2017 annual meeting in Denver. Mo-99 is a precursor isotope to technetium-99m, which helps clinicians perform millions of procedures annually in the U.S. alone. In the past, Mo-99 shortages have caused significant delays in patient care.
Sally Schwarz, SNMMI president and professor of radiology at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, noted that widespread collaboration was a key factor that helped Mo-99 levels reach this point.
“It’s clear that the world’s Mo-99 producers have collaboratively used innovation, technology and careful planning to increase capacity and safeguard supplies of this critical medical isotope,” Schwarz said, according to a statement released by Curium.
Schwarz moderated the panel of experts in Denver, which included Jayne Senior, general manager of ANSTO Nuclear Medicine, and Frank de Lange, managing director of Curium.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.