Health

Nihon Medi-Physics Launches In-house Production of Molybdenum-99

Leave a comment


News Image

Nuclear medicine scan by Technetium-99m radiopharmaceutical.

Molybdenum-99 is the critical raw material for Technetium-99m radiopharmaceuticals.


TOKYO (PRWEB)

Nihon Medi-Physics (NMP), the leading radiopharmaceutical company in Japan, announced the in-house production of Molybdenum-99 (99Mo), the critical raw material for Technetium-99m (99mTc).

NMP launched a project for the in-house production of 99Mo by investing about JPY1.3Bn and plans to start commercial production of 99Mo in 2023. They have developed a new manufacturing process that uses an accelerator instead of a nuclear reactor. It is an environment-friendly procedure without generating nuclear waste.

A stable supply of pharmaceutical products is the most important mission for a pharmaceutical manufacturer. Stable procurement of 99Mo is an essential factor for fulfilling this mission sustainably. Therefore, NMP has been collaborating with the Research Center for Electron Photon Science, Tohoku University, since 2016 to develop a new 99Mo manufacturing process using an electron accelerator. NMP has successfully conquered various issues such as 99Mo quality as a raw material for 99mTc radiopharmaceutical products as well as its productivity. NMP has confirmed the suitability of the manufacturing process for commercial production.

99mTc radiopharmaceuticals are major products in the global diagnostic nuclear medicine market, and the demand for 99Mo as a raw material is growing in emerging countries. Together with deteriorating production capabilities due to aging production facilities of existing suppliers, the supply/demand imbalance is forecasted to become more significant, according to a report published by an international organization*1. In the event of a global 99Mo supply shortage, NMP’s project could contribute to overcome the negative impact this would cause to medical care practice within nuclear medicine procedures.

Sources

*1: OECD-NEA NEA/SEN/HLGMR(2018) Report The Supply of Medical Radioisotopes

https://www.oecd-nea.org/cen/docs/2018/sen-hlgmr2018-3.pdf

Nihon Medi-Physics Co., Ltd.

Nihon Medi-Physics Co., Ltd. (NMP) is a leading company for radiopharmaceuticals in Japan, engaged in R&D, manufacturing, and distribution. NMP’s stable and reliable supply of quality products has contributed to society over the years. With continuous challenges to new business opportunities in the “Development of Theranostics”, “Application of digital technology in healthcare”, and “Expansion of radiopharmaceutical business in Asia”, NMP anticipates to further contribute to the health and well-being of societies into the future.

Contacts

Tokyo

General Affairs Group

Corporate Communication

Nihon Medi-Physics Co., Ltd.

3-4-10, Shinsuna, Koto-ku, Tokyo

136-0075

Office: +81.3.5634.7006

E-mail: nmp_press@nmp.co.jp

Website: https://www.nmp.co.jp/eng

New York City

Tsutomu Abe, Ph.D.

Manager, Technical Representative

Sumitomo Chemical America Inc.

150 East 42nd Street, Suite 701

New York, NY 10017

Office: +1.212.572.8211

E-mail: tabe@sumichem.com

Share article on social media or email:

Leave a Reply