News

Global supply of technetium-99m, most widely used medical isotopes in nuclear medicine, is secured for the coming years

(Petten, May 2025) – NRG PALLAS and Curium have extended their collaboration for the production of molybdenum-99, which decays into technetium-99m, through a new multi-year agreement. This agreement underlines the shared dedication of both partners to a stable and uninterrupted supply of technetium-99m for patient care worldwide.

More Than 50 Million Treatments Annually

Technetium-99m is indispensable for hospitals and patients. More than 50 million nuclear medicine procedures are performed each year, with technetium-99m used in more than 80% of these treatments. The multi-year agreement between NRG PALLAS and Curium is essential to ensure the continuity of medical isotope supply.

Peter Luijten, CEO NRG PALLAS, said “These isotopes are vital for both doctors and patients.  The demand for technetium-99m remains strong and our close collaboration with Curium ensures hospitals will continue to be supplied with this indispensable isotope for years to come.”

Frank de Lange, General Manager of Curium Netherlands, said “The stable, global supply of medical isotopes to patients with serious health conditions is critical for accurate diagnosis before the treatment cycle of the patient begins. This partnership guarantees that supply,” says Frank de Lange, General Manager of Curium Netherlands.

About technetium-99m from molybdenum-99

Technetium-99m plays a crucial role in diagnosing serious conditions such as cardiovascular, lung, and brain diseases, as well as various cancers.  Patients undergoing a SPECT scan in hospitals for conditions such as cardiovascular diseases or various cancers receive an injection of a tracer—a mildly radioactive substance. The radioactive component, technetium-99m, is derived by Curium from low-enriched uranium irradiated by NRG PALLAS.

The irradiation process to produce molybdenum-99, which subsequently decays into technetium-99m, currently takes place in the High Flux Reactor (HFR) in Petten, the Netherlands, which operates around 260 days per year. As planned, this role will be taken over by the PALLAS-reactor, expected to be operational from 2030 onwards, which will offer an extended operational window of approximately 300 days per year. NRG PALLAS has implemented an extensive Long Term Safe Operation program for the HFR to maintain the safety and reliability of the reactor until the transition of irradiations to the PALLAS-reactor.