Update - December 16, 2007

NRU Reactor Returned to Service - December 16, 2007
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) estimates that medical isotopes will begin to be removed from key reactor for processing and distribution within four days.

Update - December 14, 2007

NRU Reactor Ready for Service - December 13, 2007
Operations staff at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) Chalk River Laboratories have initiated procedures to restart the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor.  AECL anticipates that it will be producing medical isotopes within seven to eight days.

Update - December 12, 2007

Canada Bill Addresses Medical Test Issue (Associated Press) - December 12, 2007
Canada's House of Commons passed emergency legislation late Tuesday aimed at bypassing the Canadian nuclear safety watchdog and putting a swift end to a critical shortage of a radioactive substance used in diagnostic medical tests.

Text of C-38, An act to permit the resumption and continuation of the operation of the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor at Chalk River (PDF)

Update - December 12, 2007

The correspondence below details communication between the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CSNC), Canadian government officials, and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL). The letter authored by AECL provides information on progress made to get the affected nuclear reactor operational as quickly as possible.

AECL Committeed to Returning NRU Reactor to Service - December 11, 2007

AECL Letter to Canadian Minister of Natural Resources and Canadian Minister of Health - December 11, 2007 (PDF)

Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Ready to Evaluate AECL Safety Case - December 10, 2007

Letter from CSNC to Canadian Minister of Natural Resources and Canadian Minister of Health - December 10, 2007 (PDF)

Letter to CSNC from Canadian Minister of Natural Resources and Canadian Minister of Health - December 10, 2007 (PDF)

Update - December 5, 2007

Due to a further extension of the maintenance shutdown at the affected reactor, MDS Nordion issued an update estimating that full production of Mo-99 is not expected to resume until early to mid-January.  Read MDS Nordion's complete statement below. 

MDS Nordion Provides Update to Customers on AECL’s Medical Isotope Supply Disruption - December 5, 2007 (PDF)

AECL Status Report on Reactor Shutdown - December 4, 2007

Letter from Covidien Regarding Mo-99 Shortage - December 3, 2007 (PDF)

December 4, 2007

On November 30, MDS Nordion issued a statement on the temporary interruption in the supply of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) used in the manufacturing of technetium-99m generators and iodine-131. Due to the extension of a scheduled reactor maintenance shutdown, full production of Mo-99 is not expected to resume until mid-December. Click here to read the complete statement from MDS Nordion.

ASNC is currently working with other cardiovascular organizations and industry representatives to keep the nuclear cardiology community well informed on this issue. Updates will be provided on the ASNC Web site (www.asnc.org) and via e-mail as needed.

ASNC members who are considering using thallium 201 as an alternative to technetium-99m agents during this temporary shortage should refer to page e85 of ASNC's Imaging Guidelines for Nuclear Cardiology Procedures for a discussion of the characteristics and protocols associated with this radiotracer. A copy of the "Stress Protocols and Tracers" chapter of the guidelines is available below and online in the Manage Your Practice section of www.asnc.org.

ASNC Imaging Guidelines for Nuclear Cardiology Procedures - "Stress Protocols and Tracers" (PDF)