Radiopharmaceutical firm Covidien of Hamilton, Bermuda, and Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) Technical Services Group of Lynchburg, VA, will collaborate to develop reactor technology for the manufacture of the medical isotope molybdenum-99 (Mo-99).
B&W will work with Covidien subsidiary Mallinckrodt of St. Louis to combine radiopharmaceutical production and global regulatory approvals with B&W's patented liquid-phase nuclear reactor technology.
The technology uses low-enriched uranium (LEU) and generates only about 1% of the waste produced by current reactor production of Mo-99, most of which uses high-enriched uranium (HEU).
The companies estimate that the joint venture has the potential to supply more than 50% of U.S. demand for Mo-99, which is the precursor to technetium-99m, widely used for nuclear cardiology studies. Mo-99 supplies have been interrupted repeatedly in the past few years by reactor shutdowns and other developments.
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