The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is connecting legacy sources of disused radium with organizations in the U.S. that can convert it into actinium-225 (Ac-225) for radiopharmaceuticals production.
Disused radium sources are present in dozens of countries around the world, safely stored but unused, according to the IAEA, whose global radium-226 management initiative includes approximately 80 countries. The agency's support through this initiative also includes assistance with source inventory, characterization, conditioning, and radiation monitoring.
In July, Tunisia completed its transfer of more than 100 disused radium sources to the U.S., the IAEA reported August 18. Brazil, Croatia, the Dominican Republic, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Lebanon, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Zimbabwe are also participating, with Brazil's transfer expected this month.
Radium-226 (Ra-226) has posed long-term management challenges for these countries, due to its long half-life (1,604 years), unique decay chain, and radiation emissions, according to the initiative.
"Once transferred to the United States, these sources will significantly add to the feedstock for actinium-225 production for the advancement of cancer care globally," the IAEA said.
Ac-225 is a rare but highly sought-after radioisotope used in targeted therapy for cancer treatment.
