16th Gennaio 2018
Curium Is the First North American Manufacturer Offering Exclusively 100% LEU Generators
(St. Louis – January 16, 2018) — Curium, a leading nuclear medicine solutions provider, announced today that the company is the first North American manufacturer to meet the deadline established by the American Medical Isotopes Production Act of 2012. This legislation effectively mandates the full conversion away from highly enriched uranium (HEU) as soon as possible and no later than January 2020. Curium’s multi-year project to transition its molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) processing facility from HEU to low enriched uranium (LEU) was completed in late-2017. This project makes Curium the only North American Technetium Tc 99m Generator manufacturer able to supply its customers exclusively with 100 percent LEU Tc 99m generators. Mo-99 is the parent isotope of Tc 99m, which is used in 30 to 40 million nuclear medicine procedures worldwide every year1.
Curium is the world’s largest supplier of Tc 99m generators and the largest user of Mo-99 in the world. “This milestone helps satisfy the goals set forth by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and confirms our support for the NNSA project to eliminate the use of weapons-grade uranium in the production of medical isotopes. We are eager to see others follow our lead and comply with the government’s call for full conversion as soon possible” says Curium North American CEO, Dan Brague.
This project is the culmination of more than seven years of work, requiring close collaboration with Curium’s irradiation partners: the Dutch High Flux Reactor, the Polish MARIA reactor, and BR2 in Belgium, as well as, the DOE and NNSA. Roy Brown, Vice President, Government Affairs for Curium North America, states, “Our 100 percent LEU conversion helps Curium generator customers eliminate the inefficiency of balancing the availability of both HEU and LEU generators in their inventory and helps them to control costs better. Something that is especially important when you consider the special reimbursement guidelines surrounding LEU versus HEU patient doses.”
Brague concluded, “We are proud of this significant step to support global nuclear nonproliferation. Being 100 percent LEU is an outstanding example of how Curium continues to deliver safe and reliable diagnostic tools to the medical community. We continue to invest in new research and technology, and there’s much more to come.”
To view a video related to Curium’s conversion to 100 percent LEU, please follow this link.
Ultra-Technekow™ V4 (technetium Tc-99m generator)
INDICATIONS AND USAGE
Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m is used IN ADULTS as an agent for: thyroid imaging, salivary gland imaging, urinary bladder imaging (direct isotopic cystography) for detection of vesico-ureteral reflux, and nasolacrimal drainage system imaging (dacryoscintigraphy).
Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m is used IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS as an agent for: thyroid imaging and urinary bladder imaging (direct isotopic cystography) for the detection of vesico-ureteral reflux.
IMPORTANT RISK INFORMATION
Radiation risks associated with the use of Pertechnetate Tc 99m are greater in pediatric patients than in adults and, in general, the younger the patient the greater the risk of owing to greater absorbed radiation doses and longer life expectancy. These greater risks should be taken firmly into account in all benefit risk assessments involving pediatric patients. Long-term cumulative radiation exposure may be associated with an increased risk of cancer.
Radiopharmaceuticals should be used only by physicians who are qualified by training and experience in the safe use and handling of radionuclides and whose experience and training have been approved by the appropriate government agency authorized to license the use of radionuclides. As in the use of any radioactive material, care should be taken to minimize radiation exposure to occupational workers.
After the termination of the nasolacriminal imaging procedures, blowing the nose and washing the eyes with sterile distilled water or an isotonic sodium chloride solution will further minimize the radiation dose.
Allergic reactions including anaphylaxis have been reported infrequently following the administration of Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m.
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About Curium
Curium is a world-class nuclear medicine solutions provider with more than a century of industry experience. Formed by the merger of IBA Molecular and Mallinckrodt Nuclear Medicine LLC, Curium is the largest vertically integrated radiopharmaceutical product manufacturer in the industry.
With manufacturing facilities across Europe and the United States, Curium supports over 14 million patients around the word with SPECT, PET, and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals to provide potentially life-saving diagnostic solutions. The Curium brand name is inspired by the work of radiation researchers Marie and Pierre Curie and emphasizes a focus on nuclear medicine. To learn more, visit curiumpharma.com.
About 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 improves 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.
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1 1 HLG-MR; 2016 Medical Isotope Supply Review: 99Mo/99mTc Market Demand and Production Capacity Projection 2016-2021
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Media Contact:
Janet Ryan
Ryan PR
+1-314-822-8860 or +1-314-614-7408
janet@ryan-pr.com