Mo-99 supply news : September 17, 2010

After more than a year of a challenging supply shortage, we now forecast a stable supply of Tc-99m.  As you know, beginning 15 months ago, we experienced an industry-wide shortage of Tc-99m, which impacted the nuclear medicine industry and affected patient access to critical diagnostic tests. The cause of the shortage was the shutdown of Canada’s NRU reactor (unplanned) and the repair and maintenance of the Netherlands’ HFR reactor (planned). These two reactors supply over 70 percent of the Tc-99m needed in the world.  

During the shortage, we worked diligently to provide you with radiopharmaceuticals by increasing the efficiency and utilization of our radiopharmaceutical dispensing processes. Additionally, we worked closely with you to minimize product waste, asked physicians to seek alternate methods of imaging when clinically applicable and maintained a constant cadence of communication through weekly supply updates. While it was a very challenging time, together, we did our part to make the most of the limited supply. 

Now, with the more positive outlook on supply, it is time to celebrate.
NRU returned to service on August 18 and brought back enough capacity to fulfill the majority of the U.S. Tc-99m needs. On September 9, HFR officially returned to service following a seven-month maintenance period. The presence of HFR further solidifies the supply chain.  As a result, the conditions that caused the shortage have ended and we are now forecasting a stable supply of Tc-99m going forward.

Cardinal Health estimates Technetium-99 (Tc-99m) availability for the rest of September and moving forward as follows:

If you have any questions, please contact your local Cardinal Health pharmacy.