Novel radionuclides: demand, production and distribution for translational research in Europe

Background

In the field of medical and scientific research, radionuclides are used to investigate various physiological and pathological processes. PRISMAP - the European medical radionuclide programme was created to bring together production facilities including intense neutron sources, an isotope mass separation facility, high-power accelerators, biomedical research institutes, and hospitals to support medical research. The aim of this article is to introduce readers with the current status of innovative radionuclides in Europe.

Main body

A survey was created targeting the latest trends mainly focused on the demand, the production and the distribution of non-routinely used medical radionuclides for use in research, and for pre-clinical and clinical trials. This survey has been disseminated through the PRISMAP community. 16 of 104 respondents were working in the field of radionuclide production. The data found common aspects from all producer-facility respondents: the biggest challenge for the producers is the availability of target materials, which goes hand-in-hand with their purity/enrichment grade. The results show that there are sufficient national or international distribution routes and methods established, although having reported challenges due to legislation constraints, especially for novel radionuclides.

Conclusions

Thanks to a questionnaire distributed by the PRISMAP consortium, the current status in radionuclides production was identified. Understanding the current status of radionuclide production is essential for assessing the continent’s capabilities and addressing the burgeoning demands for cutting-edge medical radionuclides.