OREANDA-NEWS. December 27, 2010. The first batch of molybdenum-99 radioactive isotope used in medicine will be supplied to Canadian.

Head of Rosatom State Corporation said on Monday in the course of the ceremony of signing the agreement with Skolkovo Foundation.

Production of molybdenum-99 will be launched at RIAR on December 18.

About 80% of all activity in nuclear medicine depend on supplies of molybdenum-99, a radionuclide for medical purposes used for production of generators of technetium-99m (Тс-99m) — the basic radionuclide used in the modern nuclear medicine for diagnosing. Now many human diseases are detected using Тс-99m, first of all oncological and cardiovascular ones. The number of such procedures performed in the world is over 25 million per year.

In 2011 RIAR will complete the first stage of the project, the projected capacity of which is 800 Cu per week. The second stage of the complex is also will be put into operation in 2011. Upon attainment of the projected capacity in 2012 the total capacity is supposed to be increased up to 2,500 Cu per week.

The volume of investments to the program of molybdenum-99 production from the state budget is 398 million rubles. Besides, Rosatom will invest more than one billion rubles to the project. Implementation of the project began in September 2009. Upon completion of development in June of 2010 creation of a section for production molybdenum-99 was commenced in the building of RIAR radiochemical complex using equipment and technologies of German Isotope Technology Dresden (ITD).

The main executors of the project are JSC “SSC RIAR”and Izotop All-Regional Association OJSC . The strategic partner of the Russian Federation for promotion of the product to the world market is Canadian MDS Nordion bound with Izotop with the respective agreement.