DOE/NNSA supports the establishment of a reliable domestic supply of Mo-99 produced in the United States without the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU), and with support from Congress, is providing $15 million for each of four cooperative agreements awarded under a recent Funding Opportunity Announcement. As with all DOE/NNSA cooperative agreements for domestic Mo-99 partners, DOE/NNSA matches NorthStar funding dollar for dollar, with the current agreement capped at a $30 million total in funds from both parties. NorthStar was selected by DOE/NNSA based on the evaluations and recommendations of an independent technical review panel. With inclusion of the current and past awards, NorthStar has been awarded a total of $65 million in cooperative agreements by DOE/NNSA.

“NorthStar’s enriched Mo-98 neutron capture program is one facet of our multi-pronged approach to increase domestic Mo-99 production capacity across multiple processing platforms, and we anticipate that the program will enable at least a four-fold increase in our Mo-99 production capability, pending appropriate licensures and regulatory approval,” said James T. Harvey, PhD, Senior Vice President and Chief Science Officer at NorthStar. “Enriched Mo-98 is produced by increasing the concentration of the Mo-98 isotope in natural molybdenum to more than 95% Mo-98. Then, using neutron capture technology, the enriched Mo-98 is converted to the medically useful radioisotope, Mo-99. Like other NorthStar Mo-99 processes, our Mo-98 neutron capture methodologies are non-uranium based.”

About DOE/NNSA
Established by Congress in 2000, NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear explosive testing; works to reduce the global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and effective nuclear propulsion; and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the U.S. and abroad. Visit energy.gov/nnsa for more information.


About the RadioGenix® System
The RadioGenix System is an innovative, high tech separation platform that is approved for processing non-uranium/non-highly enriched uranium based molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) for the production of the important medical radioisotope, technetium-99m (Tc-99m). Prior to availability of RadioGenix technology, the U.S. supply chain for Mo-99 has been subject to frequent and sometimes severe interruptions which negatively impact patient healthcare. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2018, the RadioGenix System is the first and only on-site, automated isotope separation system of its kind for use with non-uranium/non-highly enriched uranium based Mo-99, designed to help alleviate shortage situations and expand domestic supply.

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