by
Kathy Mahdoubi, Senior Correspondent | June 15, 2009
"Bone scanning is one area where we really don't have a good alternative to technetium," said Dr. Atcher.
Michael M. Graham, M.D., Ph.D., was officially named president Sunday. The professor of radiology and director of nuclear medicine at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City will be presiding over the Society from 2009-10.
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The new SNM president told DOTmed that in contrast to SPECT, positron emission systems are operating at capacity in many imaging centers.
"If fluoride gets approved [by CMS] it has the potential of increasing PET sales," said Graham. "I think the shortage has been a big reason why CMS is reconsidering."
There was also talk of increasing the use of Thallium-201 and I-123 in SPECT cardiac imaging, as well as the PET agent Rubidium-82, which is used in testing cardiac patients for myocardial perfusion. Rubidium has a 13-second half-life and requires a generator on-site for immediate patient infusion. In addition to the issue of half-life and logistics, there is also the increased cost of other agents, said Dr. Graham.
"There are some clever chemists trying to find alternatives, but I don't know if anyone is going to come up with anything as inexpensive -- that's the great thing about Technetium," he said.
Lantheus Medical Imaging CEO Don Kiepert revealed to DOTmed that the new Australian reactor is now online and that a shipment of Molybdenum had already been received for processing into Technetium. DOTmed recently reported on the major imaging-agent supplier's partnership with NTP radioisotopes, a Molybdenum processor in South Africa. In turn, NTP has made an agreement with the Belgium radiochemical producer IRE to provide additional Molybdenum product to Lantheus, which until recently had relied heavily on the Canadian NRU reactor for the parent isotope.
The Canadian NRU reactor is thought to remain offline for at least three months for preventive maintenance due to corrosion within the reactor's infrastructure, MDS Nordion spokesperson Tamra Benjamin told DOTmed.
Look for more DOTmed radioisotope supply news, product features and new clinical research revealed at this year's SNM.
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