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.

NTP contributes greatly to South Africa’s GDP

Being customer focused, and socially and environmentally responsible, NTP
has put South Africa on the world map as a promising emerging market,
contributing nearly R1-billion in local and international radiopharmaceutical
revenue, according to annual reports.

Phumzile Tshelane, CEO of Necsa, said that NTP enjoys a reputation built on
consistent, reliable service and product quality excellence with a strong
competitive advantage over other isotope producers due to direct control over,
or access to raw materials, facilities and processes.

South Africa is the first country in the world to successfully implement
commercial scale LEU-based Mo-99 and I-131 production

A global milestone was achieved in June 2009 when the SAFARI-1 reactor
first fuelled up its core using low enriched (non-weapons grade) uranium (LEU)
instead of the highly enriched uranium (HEU) used previously. Tshelane
explained, "This accomplishment, together with the conversion of target plates
(from which Mo-99 and I-131 are extracted) to LEU, marked the beginning of the
first-ever commercial scale fully LEU-based Mo-99 production."

These successes were followed by delivery of the first shipment of
LEU-based Mo-99 to a customer in the US late in 2010. Shipments of LEU Mo-99
still continue.

"SAFARI-1 is the only research reactor in the world with the highest number
of operational days per annum (over 300 days), thereby ensuring optimal
radioisotope production capacity as well as maintaining a stringent maintenance
schedule," said Tshelane. "The reactor although 48 years old, is extremely well
maintained and constantly upgraded, which means it will operate at least until
2030."

NTP undertook this conversion process from Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU)
targets plates to those fabricated from low-enriched Uranium (LEU) as
encouraged by the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) of the USA’s
National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The NNSA initiative seeks to
eliminate the possibility of bomb-grade HEU falling into the hands of
terrorists and NTP has been internationally lauded for its pioneering
achievement in eliminating its dependence on HEU for radioisotope production.

Don Robertson, MD of NTP, said, "Molybdenum-99 made in reactors fuelled by
LEU is an important contribution to production safety, and in providing
healthcare industries with safe and secure, cost effective, and uninterrupted
access to critical, often lifesaving medical imaging procedures."

World-class Expertise

NTP’s world-class expertise in medical radioisotope production using the
SAFARI-1 reactor and sophisticated processing facilities are Molybdenum-99
(Mo-99)- decay product Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) – used to diagnose cancer, heart
and numerous other diseases and Iodine-131 (I-131) used in the treatment of
thyroid ailments. Robertson further explained, "Production of Mo-99 by NTP, on
a commercial scale, was developed during the early 1990s. After this production
capacity and penetrating the global market, NTP emerged as one of today’s world
leaders in the field."

For the past 18 years, NTP maintained a successful consortium radioisotope
supply arrangement with IRE of Belgium. Each organisation has been able to
provide back-up Mo-99 supply for the other during times when either plant has
been out of operation for maintenance purposes. The long-term alliance with IRE
to a large degree contributed towards NTP’s status of one of the world’s
leading suppliers of Mo-99 owing to the sustained and reliable supply achieved
over the years.

Speaking about NTP’s achievements, Tshelane added that NTP established a
partnership with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
(ANSTO) in terms of which a large-scale Mo-99 production facility will be
constructed at ANSTO using NTP’s technology and expertise, supported by ANSTO’s
extensive capabilities and experience. He said, "The South African-Australian
Mo-99 production partnership was established in September 2012 and comes at a
critical time for nuclear medicine provision owing to the imminent closure of
certain large Mo-99 production facilities in Canada and Europe."

"We are proud that a purely South African technological advancement has
contributed so significantly to nuclear non-proliferation efforts, while
simultaneously enhancing the lives of millions of patients benefitting from the
use of nuclear medicine. This illustrates South Africa’s and NTP’s commitment
to the utilisation of proven nuclear technology for peaceful purposes,"
concluded Robertson.

For more information visit: http://www.ntp.co.za