(December 18, 2024)

The U.S. government has worked for several years to help establish a domestically produced supply of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99)to stabilize access to this critical radio-isotope used for more than 75% of medical nuclear imaging exams. The U.S. currently relies on 100% of its Mo-99 supplies from foreign reactors overseas, making the country‘s medical imaging supply chain vulnerable. This was the case in October and early November, when one of the key aging European reactors was taken off line for emergency repairs.

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Historically, Mo-99 has been sourced from a handful of older research reactors outside the U.S., much of which came from the Chalk River reactor in Canada. But that 60-year-old reactor closed in 2018, and the reliance on reactors outside the states, including one Russian reactor for some medical isotopes, has left the U.S. vulnerable to supply chain disruptions.

“The world depends on six reactors, many of which are decades old,” Cutler explained. “These facilities coordinate their operations to minimize disruptions, but when maintenance issues arise, shortages can quickly follow.”