Lantheus Continues to Address Industry Shortage of Mo-99 Resulting from Prolonged NRU Reactor Shutdown

August 14, 2009 at 3:56 PM EDT

Advances Supply Chain Diversification Strategy To Gain Access To Additional
Supply, Ramps Up Thallium Production

N. BILLERICA, Mass. (August 14, 2009) – Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc. issued the following statement today in response to the statement issued by AECL regarding the extended shutdown of the NRU reactor on August 12, 2009. This statement is attributable to Don Kiepert, President and CEO, Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc.
 
Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc., a worldwide leader in diagnostic imaging, continues to collaborate with its supply partners and key customers to address the ongoing global isotope shortage of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), the parent isotope of Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) used in its TechneLite® generators, as a result of the prolonged NRU reactor shutdown in Canada and the current shutdown of the High Flux Reactor (HFR) in the Netherlands. As an industry leader, Lantheus continues to do everything possible to explore all avenues to address the global Mo-99 supply challenge. We will continue to allocate our Mo-99 supply so that we can serve as many people as possible.

Lantheus is working diligently with its supply partners to actively explore every available option to obtain additional Mo-99. Recently, the Company announced new Mo-99 supply agreements with NTP Radioisotopes (Pty) Ltd., a subsidiary of the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (NECSA), the National Institute for Radioelements (IRE), Belgium, and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) as a supplier for low-enriched uranium (LEU) Mo-99 in the North America, respectively, to manufacture and supply us with an ongoing volume of Mo-99.  These agreements demonstrate our continued commitment to investing in a supply chain diversification strategy to address the limited and fragile global Mo-99 supply chain.  Additionally, the Company has significantly increased production of Thallium 201 in our cyclotrons on site which are operating at full capacity to meet the demand for this alternate cardiac imaging agent during the Mo-99 shortage.

We continue to work with government officials in the U.S. and Canada to update them on the current global Mo-99 supply situation and develop innovative solutions in North America and around the world. As part of our commitment, we have recently endorsed the American Medical Isotopes Production Act sponsored by Representatives Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment, and Fred Upton (R-Mich.), the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, which seeks to ensure that a reliable supply of critical medical isotopes is produced in the United States as soon as possible.

Lantheus will continue to make every effort in the foreseeable future to provide supply of this medical isotope to the worldwide markets in which the company is permitted to supply until complete resolution of the supply instability. Lantheus remains committed to serving the needs of patients and the nuclear medicine community, and to mitigating the effect this shortage has on nuclear imaging studies and patient care.

For Lantheus supply questions, please contact Customer Service at 1-800-299-3431.