Our Products

INNOVATIVE
Mo-99 PRODUCTION

NorthStar is proudly leading the way as the only commercial U.S. producer of Mo-99 and the only producer of concentrated Mo-99 (cMo-99) using cMo-98.

How We Make
Mo-99

MOLYBDENITE (MoS2)

Courtesy of
MURR®

Everything starts with a little bit of rare mineral called Molybdenite.

Our non-uranium-based methods for producing traditional and concentrated Mo-99 (cMo-99) using cMo-98 are based on proven and well-established principles. Both start with naturally occurring molybdenum which is found in the earth’s crust as molybdenite.

NorthStar, and its partners at the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR®) are pioneering the production of cMo-99 in the United States. As we evolve our production methods, we remain committed to non-uranium production, ensuring that the Mo-99 produced at NorthStar is environmentally friendly.

Non-uranium-based Mo-99 provides healthcare customers with a reliable, domestically produced Mo-99/Tc-99m supply. In 2021, we progressed the technology further, launching concentrated Mo-99 using cMo-98. NorthStar is now able to produce up to four times the amount of Mo-99, which in turn provides customers with higher activity source vessels.

DUAL PRODUCTION
PROCESS

NorthStar’s Mo-99 is currently produced in partnership with MURR® then processed and shipped out of our Columbia, Missouri facility. In the near future, Mo-99 will also be produced, processed and shipped out of our Beloit, Wisconsin Isotope Processing facility. Mo-99 production at our Columbia facility will continue as we add our accelerator molybdenum-99 (aMo-99) in Beloit, creating dual Mo-99 production and processing pathways to ensure reliable delivery to our customers.

Mo-99 Supply Process Pipeline

nMo-98: Natural Mo-98 (phased out after cMo-98 launch)
cMo-98: Concentrated Mo-98
aMo-100*: Accelerator Mo-100

*not FDA approved