Atomic Energy of Canada (AECL) has announced that it will discontinue development of two Maple medical-isotope-dedicated reactors at Chalk River Laboratories in Ontario, effective immediately. Chalk River supplies more than two-thirds of the world's radioisotopes for Canadian healthcare company MDS and its radioisotope developer MDS Nordion of Kanata, Ontario, which is responsible for about 50% of the world supply.
The decision is based on an assessment of the costs of further development of the reactors, as well as the time and risks involved with continuing the project, according to a statement by AECL.
According to AECL, the move will not impact the current supply of medical isotopes, as agreements between radioisotope developer MDS Nordion and AECL provide for isotope production to continue through AECL's National Research Universal (NRU) reactor, which has a valid operating site license from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission through October 2011. AECL said that it will work closely with MDS Nordion on requirements for continued production beyond that date.
But nuclear medicine practitioners are skeptical, especially in light of the fact that just last December, the NRU went offline for weeks, jeopardizing hundreds of thousands of medical tests.
The Maple reactors were expected to stabilize world supply of molybdenum-99, iodine-131, iodine-125, and xenon-133, and were to be the world's first reactors dedicated exclusively to medical isotope production, according to AECL. The Maple reactor is a pool-type reactor with a compact core of low-enriched uranium fuel surrounded by a vessel of heavy water. At any one time, one Maple reactor was to be the primary isotope producer while the other reactor was to be available for full backup. Each reactor was to have the capacity to produce more than 100% of the world's requirements, with the ability to scale up production to meet increased demand.
In response to AECL's decision, MDS said that it will take steps to protect the interest of its patients, customers, and shareholders.
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MDS Nordion signs cobalt-60 supply pact, October 19, 2007
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