The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Isotope R&D and Production and the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) have begun routine production of gadolinium-153 (Gd-153), which is used to calibrate SPECT scanners.
The organizations are now positioned as the sole domestic supplier of the radioisotope and one of only two suppliers globally. International production of Gd-153 has been disrupted since 2023, creating a global supply shortage. Oak Ridge National Laboratory is supporting the effort by purifying the source material required for MURR's production process, according to an announcement.
Siemens Healthineers is among the commercial customers the new supply agreement will serve, the groups noted.
