Breaking America's dependence on imported molybdenum.
Approximately 9 million nuclear cardiology studies performed each year in the U.S. use technetium-99m, which is produced from the decay of molybdenum-99. The fragility of the worldwide technetium-99m supply chain has been underscored by current shortages caused by an unplanned shutdown of Europe's largest reactor. The majority of the U.S. supply derives from a reactor in Canada that is nearing the end of its lifespan and whose planned replacements have been cancelled recently. In this article, the clinical importance of technetium-99m and our tenuous dependence on the foreign supply of molybdenum are addressed, along with potential measures that may be taken to ensure that America's supply chain remains unbroken.
Department of Medicine, Cardiology Division, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York 10032, USA. andrew.einstein@columbia.edu
Andrew J
AJ
Einstein
D002170:Canada; D003132:Commerce; D005060:Europe; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D008982:Molybdenum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D017149:Private Sector; D017150:Public Sector; D011868:Radioisotopes; D011876:Radionuclide Generators / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D013667:Technetium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D014481:United States
D011868:Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013667:Technetium; D008982:Molybdenum