HEALTHCARE
New Mexico company sees opening in medical isotope production
Eden Radioisotopes鈥� proposed Eunice plant could produce materials used in imaging, cancer therapies
An sa国际传媒官网网页入口 nuclear technology company earlier this month applied to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to construct a facility near Eunice in southeast New Mexico to produce isotopes for medical purposes.
Eden Radioisotopes said in announcing the permit application that the isotope production complex 鈥渋s designed to produce a domestic source of life-saving medical isotopes 鈥� something currently unavailable in the United States.鈥�
The company said the Eden facility will be positioned to deliver up to 50% of global demand for Molybdenum-99, or Mo-99, an isotope behind more than 40,000 diagnostic imaging procedures performed in the United States daily. The company said the U.S. currently imports 100% of its Mo-99 from aging foreign nuclear reactors.
鈥淏ecause medical isotopes decay within hours or days of production, they cannot be stockpiled,鈥� the announcement said. 鈥淎ny disruption outside of the U.S. can result in immediate cancellation of patient procedures domestically.鈥�
The application to the NRC comes as the U.S. tries to harness nuclear fuel for nonpower purposes. The ADVANCE Act of 2024 and President Donald Trump鈥檚 executive Order 14300 鈥渟treamline regulatory pathways,鈥� the company said in its announcement.
Radioactive isotopes are used in a variety of medical treatments, such as diagnostic imaging, as well as for targeting cancer cells.
Carrie Freeman, CEO of Eden, said in an interview that the company is using patented technology from Sandia National Laboratories. She said the company sees a big market for cancer treatments; there are currently 90 clinical trials in place for the same isotopes the company will produce, she said.
The facility would also produce 3.5 million annual doses of isotopes such as Lutetium-177 for cancer treatments.
Delivery of the isotopes is a 鈥渧ery highly coordinated logistical feat,鈥� Freeman said, involving shipments of the bulk material via land or air to processing facilities and then to patients within 36 hours.
The facility, which could be operational as soon as 2030 pending regulatory approval, will sit on 240 acres. The nuclear portion of it will be 90,000 square feet, Freeman said. She hopes to hire up to 85 employees at the facility.
The biggest obstacle to pulling the project off?
鈥淗aving the right capital available when we need it 鈥� the funding, 鈥� Freeman said. 鈥淎nd making sure that we can execute on our construction schedule.鈥�
鈥淲e are very confident that we have a low risk in terms of the regulatory process and the technology itself,鈥� Freeman said. 鈥淭he biggest advantage for us is that the technology has been proven.鈥�
Justin Horwath covers tech and energy for the Journal. He can be reached at jhorwath@abqjournal.com.
