Applications open for NNSA medical isotope production program

The Department of Energy wants to sign cooperative agreements with companies that can help establish a domestic supply of the medical isotope molybdenum-99 without using highly enriched uranium.

U.S. companies with mature technologies to achieve commercial-scale production of molybdenum-99 in U.S. facilities can apply, according to a notice DOE posted to the federal government’s procurement website, the System for Award Management. 

National laboratories, management and operations contractors, universities, and federally funded research and development centers are not eligible to apply for an award but can team with private firms. 

Molybdenum-99 decays into technetium-99, commonly used for medical diagnostic procedures. The byproduct’s primary uses include diagnosing heart disease and cancer and studying organ structure and function. 

The NNSA has given a number of U.S. companies financial aid to produce molybdenum-99, including SHINE Medical Technologies, Janesville, Wis., and NorthStar Medical technologies, Beloit, Wis. 

Historically, the isotope was made abroad with highly enriched uranium. In 2021, the Department of Energy effectively ended imports of Mo-99 from foreign manufacturers and subsequently said U.S. companies could start producing commercial quantities of the isotope in 2023.

Beginning In 2012, Congress passed the American Medical Isotopes Production Act, which through the National Nuclear Security Administration, competitively awards 50/50 cost-shared cooperative agreements to commercial entities and providing funds to the DOE National Laboratories to support the development of molybdenum-99 production technologies without the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU). At least $62 million was doled out for the program in fiscal year 2022, but none in 2023 and none is yet earmarked in 2024, according to the notice DOE posted online last week.