University of Missouri Research Reactor Files for NRC Approval to Start U.S. Production of Medical Isotopes

COLUMBIA, MO, March 29, 2017 - The University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR®) and its partners Nordion, a business of Sterigenics International, and General Atomics (GA), announce that MURR's License Amendment Request (LAR) has been submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). This marks a critical step towards implementing domestic U.S. production of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99). Once operational, production from this facility will be capable of supporting nearly half of U.S. demand for Mo-99, which currently must be imported from outside North America.

"This LAR submission shows the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that we will have all of the technology, expertise and safety measures needed to begin producing Mo-99 in place and ready to go once approval has been received," said Ralph Butler, Executive Director of MURR®. "As a public research institution, we are proud to play a partnership role with GA and Nordion in helping America secure a new, domestic source of Mo-99."

Once approved by the NRC, MURR® will begin producing Mo-99 using selective gaseous extraction (SGE), a unique proprietary technology developed by General Atomics to extract the isotope from Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) targets. This patented approach will produce Mo-99 of the highest specific activity, while avoiding the production of liquid uranium waste, a significant problem with existing technologies that require Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU). Extracted Mo-99 will be transported to Nordion's facility in Ottawa, Ontario, for final purification and distribution to radiopharmaceutical manufacturers, after which it will be distributed to hospitals and medical facilities around the world.

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Source: PR Newswire