Dear Molecular Imaging Insider,
Nuclear medicine and molecular imaging have seen a renaissance in the past few years with the introduction of new fusion technologies such as PET/CT and SPECT/CT, but the introduction of new therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals could expand this specialty far beyond its present practice.
Current therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals have employed the isotopes yttrium-90 and iodine-131, but researchers are investigating both beta and alpha emitters with shorter particle ranges and high-energy depositions. These isotopes hold the promise of more focused capabilities for treating various tumors, reducing the negative effect on neighboring healthy cells.
Rapid growth in the market for therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals is anticipated over the next few years, with the potential to reach $1.9 billion by 2012, according to Marvin Burns, president of Las Vegas-based healthcare market research firm Bio-Tech Systems. Burns holds that progress in international cooperation and new technology opportunities may well result in a cornucopia of new products employing lutetium-177, promethium-149, bismuth‑212, bismuth-213, astatine-211, radium-223, and polonium‑210.
To read more about what's in the pipeline for new therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, click here. As a Molecular Imaging Insider subscriber, you have access to this story before it's published for the rest of our AuntMinnie.com members.
Also, be sure to stop in next week and check out our coverage of the Society of Nuclear Medicine annual scientific meeting. We'll be on the scene in San Diego to provide you breaking news from the conference.
If you'd care to share your suggestions or insights on any aspect of molecular imaging you'd like to see covered on AuntMinnie.com in the future, please contact me. I look forward to hearing from you.
