Due to a recent unexpected reactor shutdown in Europe, the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) has increased its production of critical medical radioisotopes in an effort to help alleviate the anticipated disruption on the global supply chain.
MURR is currently the sole producer of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), iodine-133 (I-131), and lutetium-177 (Lu-177) in the United States, all of which are used for medical diagnoses or treatment of cancer and other disease. The European reactor is one of the main suppliers for these isotopes in Europe. With that reactor shut down, MU’s facility is working to help meet the increase in demand internationally.
Having shortages of these key radioisotopes can be a major issue for patients due to these drugs’ short shelf lives, said J. David Robertson, the executive director of MURR.
“An interruption in the supply of medical radioisotopes is a critical issue since, unlike typical drugs, these drugs cannot be stockpiled due to their short half-lives, or their quickly diminishing effectiveness as their active ingredients undergo radioactive decay,” Robertson said. “This means if these drugs are not produced this week, cancer patients will not receive their treatments next week.”