NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, a nuclear medicine company based out of Madison, Wis., announced that it has received approval from the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) facility in Columbia, Mo., to begin producing the radioisotope molybdenum-99 (Mo-99).

The company will now work with MURR on establishing a weekly production schedule. Output will further increase once the production process receives a final approval from the FDA, according to Northstar.

Mo-99 is the precursor of technetium-99m (Tc-99m), the radioisotope commonly used for medical diagnostic imaging. Interest in the domestic production of Mo-99 has increased in recent years, especially after the news that Canada’s National Research Universal reactor—where 40 percent of the world’s Mo-99 is produced—is scheduled to close in March 2018.

“Approval to routinely operate our aliquoting line is a major milestone toward becoming the first commercial producer of Mo-99 in the United States in more than 25 years and giving health care professionals nationwide reliable access to the Tc-99m they need to provide patients accurate diagnoses and conduct important research,” James Harvey, PhD, NorthStar senior vice president and chief science officer, said in a statement.

“MURR is pleased to continue supporting NorthStar’s efforts to launch a domestic supply of Mo-99,” Ralph Butler, MURR executive director, said in the same statement.