New Mexico company sets sights on bolstering the domestic supply of Mo-99
A nuclear technology company is seeking permits to begin construction on a radioisotope production facility in New Mexico.
Albuquerque-based Eden Radioisotopes LLC this week filed a construction permit application with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build a facility near Eunice, New Mexico. One of the company’s primary goals is to produce Molybdenum-99.
Mo-99 is a radioisotope that is used in tens of thousands of procedures in the U.S. every day. Unfortunately, the U.S. relies heavily on foreign reactors for Mo-99. These reactors have become more vulnerable to being sidelined as they continue to age, which puts the supply chain at risk.
"For decades, the American medical system has operated at the mercy of a fragile, foreign-dependent supply chain," Carrie Freeman, CEO of Eden Radioisotopes, said in an announcement. "Eden will permanently reshore this capability—establishing a domestic supply of Mo-99 and Lu-177 and bringing proven nuclear technology directly to the fight against cancer and heart disease."
Eden is one of numerous organizations in the U.S. that have invested millions in production facilities capable of manufacturing radioisotopes, but the company’s focus on Mo-99 specifically sets them apart. It estimates that, once construction is approved and completed, the facility could produce up to 50% of the global demand for the radioisotope.
The company plans to use an “all-target” reactor concept exclusively licensed from Sandia National Laboratories to achieve this. The reactor will be designed specifically for high-yield isotope production and will be capable of producing both fission product radioisotopes and activation radioisotopes for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Eden has been in close contact with the NRC regarding their plans and has signaled it is well-positioned to have the permit approved.
"Because we engaged the NRC early, have an inherently safe design, did our environmental due diligence, and are delivering a robust application, we are confident in a 12-month NRC review," noted Jim Saldarini, licensing director at Eden Radioisotopes. "That certainty matters enormously to our investors, our partners and the patients awaiting domestic production at scale."
Read more here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.