Radioisotope manufacturer International Isotopes has received its first commercial shipment of iodine-131 (I-131) from the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR).
The delivery makes International Isotopes the first distributor of the isotope from a U.S. source since the 1980s, according to the company. International Isotopes has been supplying I-131 to U.S. customers for nearly 15 years only through international sources.
I-131 sodium iodide is used for diagnostic imaging and in the treatment of thyroid cancer and hyperthyroidism. Since the thyroid gland naturally absorbs iodine, I-131 can be used to target thyroid tumors directly.
