LONDON, Ontario – Lawson Health Research Institute has been awarded approximately $1.5 million by Natural Resources Canada to develop the capability of producing Technetium-99m (Tc-99m). The intent is to produce the radioisotope on Lawson’s new medical cyclotron at the Nordal Cyclotron & PET Radiochemistry Facility in sufficient commercial quantities to supply London, Ontario and the surrounding area with this vital medical radioisotope.
Natural Resources Canada announced today that Lawson, together with the Hamilton-based Centre for Probe Development & Commercialization and Vancouver-based TRIUMF and the BC Cancer Agency, will receive a total of $6 million for the project entitled “A Collaborative Program for the Production of Tc-99m Using Medical Cyclotrons.”
Tc-99m is a short-lived radioactive tracer used in nuclear medicine for a wide variety of diagnostic tests. However, supplies for medical use suffered severe interruptions when the nuclear reactors at the beginning of the supply chain ran into reliability issues. Successful implementation of this project will help alleviate dependency on Canada’s NRU reactor located in Chalk River.
Lawson’s Dr. Michael Kovacs, Director of the Nordal Cyclotron & PET Radiochemistry Facility, says “With the aging NRU reactor reaching the end of its useful life, this project is a critical first step by the federal government to ensure a stable and highly diversified supply chain of Technetium-99m for Canadians.”
According to project leader and senior research scientist at TRIUMF and the BC Cancer Agency, Dr. Thomas J. Ruth, “We believe this technology, based on existing cyclotrons, will enhance the reliability of medical-isotope supply for Canadians and, when we are successful, can be commercialized for sale in other countries.”
Funding for this program is through Natural Resources Canada’s Non-reactor-based Isotope Supply Contribution Program as part of the Government of Canada’s intention to lay the groundwork for a more secure and sustainable supply of medical isotopes in the future.
For more information, please see http://impatiens.sjhc.london.on.ca/drupal/node/1649.
About Lawson Health Research Institute
Lawson Health Research Institute, located in London, Ontario, is one of Canada’s largest and most respected hospital-based research institutes. As the research arm of London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care, London, and working in partnership with The University of Western Ontario, Lawson is committed to furthering scientific knowledge to advance health care around the world. Its state-of-the-art, 6,000 sq. ft. Nordal Cyclotron & PET Radiochemistry Facility opened on March 31, 2010 and includes a GE PETtrace 8 cyclotron with proton and deuteron acceleration capability, class
100 shielded hot cells, and automated chemistry units for producing F-18 and C-11 radiopharmaceuticals – all to GMP specifications.
For more information, please contact:
Julia Capaldi
Lawson Health Research Institute
519-646-6100 ext. 61098
Julia.capaldi@lawsonresearch.com
www.lawsonresearch.com