Robust high-yield ~1 TBq production of cyclotron based sodium [99mTc]pertechnetate

• Published in: Nuclear medicine and biology 2018-05, Vol.60, p.63-70
• Main Authors: Andersson, J.D., Thomas, B., Selivanova, S.V., Berthelette, E., Wilson, J.S., McEwan, A.J.B., Gagnon, K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: [99mTc]pertechnetate; Ammonium compounds; Atoms & subatomic particles; Comparative analysis; Cyclotron; Cyclotrons; Decay; Diagnostic systems; GMP; High current; High yield; High-current targets; Irradiation; Pharmacology; Reliability; Saturation; Solid phases; Solid target; Specifications; Supply chains
• ISSN: 0969-8051; 1872-9614
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2018.02.003

This paper presents the irradiation and processing of high-current 100Mo targets at the University of Alberta (UofA) in a GMP compliant setting. For purpose of comparison with a second production facility, additional studies at Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS) are also described. More than 70% of today's diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals are based on 99mTc, however the conventional supply chain for obtaining 99mTc is fragile. The aim of this work was to demonstrate reliable high yield production and processing of 99mTc with medium-energy, high-current, cyclotrons. We used two cyclotrons (TR-24, Advanced Cyclotron Systems, Inc) for irradiations with 22 MeV or 24 MeV incident energy and 400 μA current up to a maximum of 6 h. The irradiated 100Mo was dissolved using peroxide, basified using ammonium carbonate, and purified using a PEG-based solid phase extraction technique. High-yield productions with 22 MeV (400 μA, 6 h) yielded an average isolated [99mTc]TcO4− yield of 878 GBq ± 99 GBq (23.7 Ci ± 2.7 Ci) decay corrected to EOB, n = 8 (isolated saturation yield: 4.36 ± 0.49 GBq/μA). Irradiations with 24 MeV (400 μA, 6 h) resulted in an average isolated [99mTc]TcO4− yield of 993 GBq ± 100 GBq (26.8 Ci ± 2.7 Ci) decay corrected to EOB, n = 7 (isolated saturation yield: 4.97 ± 0.50 GBq/μA). These yields corresponds to 600–700 GBq (16–19 Ci) of [99mTc]TcO4− at release (i.e. 3 hour post-EOB). For all tested batches, the QC results were within the recently published specifications in the European Pharmacopoeia. Reliable near-TBq production yields for 99mTc can be obtained using medium-energy cyclotrons. This work presents evidence that medium-energy high-current cyclotrons can provide high yields of [99mTc]TcO4− with radionuclidic impurities levels within the specifications of the existing European Pharmacopoeia monograph, indicating that this technology can have a share in the future 99mTc supply market.