A group of Canadian science, healthcare, and nuclear organizations have created a new council to ensure the country stays at the forefront of medical isotope production.
The goal of the newly formed Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council (CNIC) is to raise awareness of the importance of medical isotopes in nuclear medicine and to support long-term policies to have an adequate supply of isotopes in Canada and elsewhere around the world.
The initiative comes less than two weeks after the final closure of the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor in Chalk River, Ontario. In its heyday, the facility was the majority supplier of molybdenum-99 for North America.
"Ontario has been a leader in radioisotope production and has fostered an innovative industry that creates high-value jobs, research, and development opportunities," said Reza Moridi, Canada's minister of research, innovation, and science. "By promoting and supporting this area of the science and healthcare sector, we will ensure that Ontario remains at the forefront of nuclear medicine, providing treatments that improve our quality of life and strengthen our economy at home."
