AZTherapies, a Boston-based biomedical company investigating Massachusetts General Hospital-licensed treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD), announced May 23 that the FDA has cleared the path for a phase III clinical trial for ALZT-OP1, a combination of two drugs with the aim of curbing the neurodegenerative disease in its earliest stages.

NTP Radioisotopes SOC Ltd, a subsidiary of the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), produces a quarter of the world's medical radioisotopes used to allow for about 40 million medical diagnostic images every year, making it the third largest producer and supplier globally. This proud South African corporate citizen is situated at the sophisticated Necsa nuclear facility site, west of Pretoria and routinely serves customers in 60 countries on six continents with its range of nuclear radiation-based products and services.

No longer are oncologists settling for vague positive and negative results. Tumors are as varied in their topography as any terrain on the planet and distinct characteristics in texture and morphology are important for tumor staging and predicting survival.

I have been thinking lately about issues related to the direction of research funding for the field of molecular imaging. I have to confess my preference for nuclear techniques in this regard since tracer techniques usually have the advantage of not perturbing the observed state. 

An exclusive interview with Michael Graham, MD, PhD, covering the latest developments in PET radiopharmaceuticals, from drugs just approved and blazing trail in clinical use, to compounds in the far reaches of research.

Continued shutdowns at research reactors throughout the world have created shortfalls in essential medical isotope supply for several years. 

The drive for heterogeneity in molecular imaging calls for management of complex imaging data in massive volumes, a task that is challenging information technology experts and medical community members alike. 

Molecular imaging has become increasingly important in the non-invasive diagnosis and monitoring of pediatric disease, whether known or suspected. Innovations in molecular oncology, neuroimaging and hybrid imaging are shaping how clinicians approach a range of diseases in children and young adults.