Perma-Fix Medical, S.A. announced on Monday that it has been successful in scaling production of the resin Technetium-99m (Tc-99m).
Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc., Perma-Fix Medical’s parent, said this product is able to withstand up to six curies of radiation in two tests of material derived from molybdenum and enriched molybdenum-98.
“We look forward to presenting the results of these tests at the U.S. Department of Energy Mo-99 Topical meeting this week in Boston,” Perma-Fix Environmental CEO Louis Centofanti said. “On the heels of this success, we are continuing with our plans to formalize additional partnerships and prepare for regulatory submission in North America and Europe.”
According to the announcement, Tc-99m is commonly used in medical practices that involve radiation. Common procedures of this kind include cancer detection and bone scans, cardiac imaging and imaging of the brain and other internal organs. Tc-99m is typically produced through thermal fission of uranium. The company will be conducting additional tests as development continues.
“Achieving these results at the 6 curie level are extremely gratifying and further reinforces what we had expected,” Perma-Fix Medical CEO Stephen Belcher said. “We plan to conduct additional tests in the near future; but based on these preliminary results, we are extremely confident in our path forward. Importantly, we believe we are now in a position to meet the requirements of customers, not only in emerging markets, but also in North American and European markets. Ultimately, we are convinced that our process will reshape the global supply chain of Tc-99m in the United States and around the world.”
