Seeking to address a growing demand for the domestic and global supply
of cobalt-60, a radioisotope used for treating cancer and other
biomedical applications, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and Exelon
Generation Company have agreed to a landmark deal to deploy GEH’s
isotope generation technology.
“We are pleased to work with Exelon to create a more stable, global
supply of cobalt-60, which has been used to help treat hundreds of
thousands of patients for cancer and other medical conditions”
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a license amendment
permitting the use of GEH’s technology at Exelon Nuclear’s Clinton Power
Station, a single-unit, boiling water reactor plant in Dewitt County,
Ill. Installation of GEH technology for the pilot project will occur
during Clinton’s current planned maintenance and refueling outage.
The collaborative venture comes at a time of heightened concerns about
the domestic availability of radioisotopes. The American Nuclear Society
has noted an urgent need for a reliable, domestic source of
radioisotopes to sustain the nation’s growing healthcare needs. While
the United States’ national laboratories produce a small amount of
cobalt-60, today there is no large-scale, commercial, domestic
production source.
Cobalt-60 is used as a radiation source in cancer therapy. The
International Irradiation Association estimates that 15 million cancer
treatments are carried out using cobalt-60 each year in hospitals and
clinics in over 80 countries. More than 500,000 brain cancer treatments
have been performed using cobalt-60.
“Without key isotopes like cobalt-60, potentially life-threatening
diseases could go untreated,” said Dr. Robert Atcher, former president
of the Society of Nuclear Medicine. “Developing a U.S. domestic supply
of isotopes capable of meeting demands is imperative to the well-being
of the U.S. population. It is exciting to see companies like GEH and
Exelon leveraging one another's expertise to develop and bring
technologically advanced, innovative solutions to the medical isotope
community.”
“We view this as an opportunity for Exelon to support an important
medical technology that saves people’s lives,” said Charles Pardee,
Exelon Nuclear president and chief nuclear officer.