Radiofármacos, radioisótopos que salvam vidas: proposta para alcançar a independência tecnológica nacional na produção de radiofármacos

Abstract

This work arise from the interest in knowing the world market for radiopharmaceuticals after the panic set in the world in 2000 when the Canadian government announced that it would stop routine radioisotope production at the National Research Universal, one of the largest and most versatile research reactors in the world, and which provided forty percent of the world's supply of Molybdenum-99, the precursor of technetium-99m, the most widely used isotope in nuclear medicine. Given the importance of the subject, it became necessary to develop this task, to analyze the present and future world panorama of the market of these radioisotopes, and the development of new technologies and processes for its production, in addition to Brazilian initiatives to meet internal demands. We analyzed the old Brazilian nuclear research facilities and an analysis of the strategic value, with a brief reflection on the reasons that led the Brazilian government to approve the development and implementation of a new facility with this objective in the country, the Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor. The methodology adopted included a bibliographical and documentary research, in order to search for theoretical references. This work is restricted to the production of radioisotopes of interest in medicine, with a look at the different technologies, processes, schedules and origin of resources or investments, applied by the public administration and private initiative or in the partnerships, due to the urgent need to avoid damages caused by their lack, in a possible global shortage.