The Future of Radioactive Elements used in Medicine

Radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals are widely used to enhance diagnostic imaging. In therapeutic applications they are used in the treatment of disease. In the medical research arena, radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals using these isotopes are at the forefront in research which is providing new methods to diagnose disease. More importantly, in the treatment of disease, especially cancers, leukemia, Parkinson’s disease, rejection of organ transplants, etc. is beginning to show success.

In the United States over 40,000 patients benefit from medical imaging technologies each day using radiopharmaceuticals and/or an individual radioisotope for medical imaging diagnostics in PET (Positron Emission Tomography, SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography), MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), and CAT Scan (Computer Aided Tomography Scanning).

One of every four persons admitted to US hospitals undergoes at least one diagnostic or therapeutic medical procedure that employs radioisotopes or radiopharmaceuticals. The total number of radiopharmaceutical doses delivered to patients each year exceeds 16 million. These 16 million doses are part of the 13 million nuclear medicine procedures performed in the 4000 nuclear medicine facilities in the United States alone.[1]

While research in the specific application of enhancing diagnostic images continues, the current trend in the development and administration of radiopharmaceuticals as a therapy is today considered to be greatest opportunity in the application of radiopharmaceuticals. The delivery of radiopharmaceuticals as a therapy is a rapidly expanding. The advances realized in molecular biology (human genome project) for identifying cellular structure of disease, the mechanisms for manifestation (its origins) combined with advances in new radiopharmaceuticals combinations has developed into a new science known as Molecular Targeted Radiotherapy (MTR).  The recent release of Zevalin® from Biogen Idec Inc., a monoclonal antibody using yttrium-90, is a prime example and state-of-the-art compound used in current cancer therapies.

Benefit to Healthcare Workers - NNM Patented Technology

As the demand for radiopharmaceuticals increases, the nuclear medicine technologist’s exposure to radioactive decay from the current production process of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals is expected to increase.  From an excerpt of the article in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, the nuclear pharmacy market is identified as one of the “four occupational groups identified as highly exposed”[2].  The same article goes on to say that in the cyclotron and radioisotope production facilities “the annual mean doses for these workers have increased in each of the last 5 years.”  The combination of increased demand and the current manual production processes will clearly add to this serious safety issue.  In addition, all healthcare providers are handling more and more radioactivity (net 16 million doses delivered annually, and increasing).

While workloads for the Nuclear Pharmacy has dramatically increased so has the demand for new therapeutic radioisotopes requiring radionuclide purity that far exceeds current levels.  The current production process, which in itself is an antiquated but an accepted systematic process, is plagued by human process errors and yields a level of purity that is not dose-to- dose consistent or free of impurities.  In the therapy arena, the requirement for a uniform therapeutic radioisotope is not only required, but the lack thereof increases unpredictable patient risk if impurities are present. Whenever the isotope is used as a therapeutic, the safety and efficacy of the pharmaceutical is directly proportional to the complete utilization of the specific radioisotope (conjugation) with the bio-localization compound (minimal impurities and undesirables), and the immediate delivery of the isotope, which maximizes its effective radiation treatment.  It’s not alarming to find the Food and Drug Administration is continually looking for ways to minimize potential side effects of these drug therapies.

NorthStar Nuclear Medicine's (NNM) patented technology addresses the need for minimal worker radiation exposure during the production of the radiopharmaceuticals (derivation of a pure radioisotope).  It is this ultrapure solution containing the radioactivity that is then conjugated (mixed) with proprietary molecules.  In addition, this latest technology from NNM is far superior to current techniques for separation purity, and because it uses computer automation, can generate very consistent solutions on a dose-by-dose preparation schedule.  NorthStar Nuclear Medicine has at its disposal scientists and engineers that are known world wide for their expertise and have many years of experience in developing and introducing new medical instrumentation.

[2] “Occupational Radiation Exposure Examined”, J. Nucl. Med. 2003, 44(2), 27N

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