Attached to targeting molecules, medical isotopes travel through the body to find disease. In diagnostics, they reveal cancers, heart and neurological conditions on PET and SPECT scans; in therapy, they deliver radiation directly to tumours, killing cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue.
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Increasingly the same target is imaged and then treated by exchanging the isotope but keeping the same targeting agent. This so-called theranostic pairing is driving a fast-growing wave of new radiopharmaceuticals.

Current supply rests on ageing infrastructure. Most medical isotopes are still produced in a handful of nuclear reactors or via cyclotrons. Neither scales to meet modern demand, and reactor shutdowns have already triggered global shortages in key isotopes.

This fragile base cannot keep pace with surging clinical demand. New, scalable production technology is needed to secure reliable supply.