Supply Chain

Managing supplies is a crucial part of moving medical products from the manufacturer to patient’s bedside. Efficient supply chains can reduce healthcare costs and make medical devices more affordable for patients and health systems. This news page includes content on supply shortages, inventory management, and procurement practices.

U.S. moves closer to establishing domestic supply of Mo-99 for nuclear imaging
Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging President, Cathy Cutler, explains the long road to jump-starting a new U.S. domestic supply of imaging isotopes.
Why is the US still dependent on foreign medical isotope production?
The U.S currently does not have any large-scale commercial production of the isotope Mo-99 used for nuclear imaging. It is critical to more 40,000 nuclear imaging exams each day, representing about 80% of all diagnostic molecular imaging procedures.
Some nuc med departments are already feeling the strain of the isotope shortage
"This can't drag on. Patients needing cancer treatment can’t wait two months for an accurate diagnosis.”
New details emerge on looming medical isotope shortage
The supply of Mo-99 and Tc-99m—the most commonly utilized medical isotopes in the world—could be cut by as much as 40% until the reactor in the Netherlands is up and running again.
Two years after the contrast shortage, how have supply preservation tactics fared?
During an initial three-month intervention period, one health system estimates that its saved nearly 750,000 mL of contrast. Now, experts from the organization are sharing whether those changes stuck after the shortage ended.

Video of SNMMI President Cathy Cutler explaining the efforts to get U.S. production started for Mo-99 for a domestic supply of nuclear imaging isotopes. #RSNA #SNMMI #RSNA24 #RSNA2024 #isotopeshortage

U.S. moves closer to establishing domestic supply of Mo-99 for nuclear imaging

Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging President, Cathy Cutler, explains the long road to jump-starting a new U.S. domestic supply of imaging isotopes.

Why is the US still dependent on foreign medical isotope production?

The U.S currently does not have any large-scale commercial production of the isotope Mo-99 used for nuclear imaging. It is critical to more 40,000 nuclear imaging exams each day, representing about 80% of all diagnostic molecular imaging procedures.

Some nuc med departments are already feeling the strain of the isotope shortage

"This can't drag on. Patients needing cancer treatment can’t wait two months for an accurate diagnosis.”

New details emerge on looming medical isotope shortage

The supply of Mo-99 and Tc-99m—the most commonly utilized medical isotopes in the world—could be cut by as much as 40% until the reactor in the Netherlands is up and running again.

Two years after the contrast shortage, how have supply preservation tactics fared?

During an initial three-month intervention period, one health system estimates that its saved nearly 750,000 mL of contrast. Now, experts from the organization are sharing whether those changes stuck after the shortage ended.

Contrast protocols based on lean body weight save supplies, reduce patient risk

Adjusting contrast dose based on a patient’s lean body weight provides the same image quality as other administration methods, new data show.

Space company to extract medical imaging isotopes from the moon

Interlune has received $15M in funding to develop a scalable supply of Helium-3 from the lunar surface.

Manufacturers partner to develop radioisotopes used in cancer drugs, clinical trials

Eckert & Ziegler and Nucleus RadioPharma have signed an agreement to address the increasing demand for Lu-177 and Ac-225.

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