Northstar Medical Radioisotopes Receives Three Patents And Trademark Approval

RadioGenix™ Isotope Separation System and Key Components Patented; Brand of Molybdenum-99 Trademarked

BELOIT, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes LLC has been awarded three patents and a trademark approval from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Patents were granted for the RadioGenix™ isotope separation system and two of its key components – the Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) Source Vessel and the Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) Product Cartridge. A trademark was awarded for NuMolium™, the company’s brand of Mo-99.

Mo-99 is the parent isotope of Tc-99m, a medical isotope required for tests performed 40,000 times each day to diagnose and stage cancer, heart disease, infection, inflammation and other conditions.

The RadioGenix™ (patent number 9,299,466) gives users an efficient, automated system for processing medical isotopes. Initially it will be used to separate Tc-99m from Mo-99 and purify the resulting Tc-99m solution, readying it for use in preparing patient-ready radiopharmaceuticals. The system can be modified to process other medical isotopes as well – a flexibility that will allow NorthStar to develop a robust pipeline.

The Mo-99 Source Vessel (patent number 9,281,089) is used to ship Mo-99 to customers using the RadioGenix™ system. It includes a Daikyo Crystal Zenith® cyclic olefin polymer vial placed inside a specially designed shield that reduces radiation exposure and protects the vial from damage.

The Tc-99m Product Cartridge (patent number 9,336,912) is the final step in the Tc-99m production process. It has two devices to filter out endotoxins and remaining Mo-99 from the Tc-99m and provides cold sterilization of the final eluent.

NuMolium™ will be produced in the United States using non-fission, non-uranium-based processes that start with stable isotopes of molybdenum, helping establish a domestic supply of Mo-99 while resolving safety and security concerns associated with commonly used production methods. Currently, all Mo-99 is produced outside of the United States and most is produced in aging reactors using weapons-usable highly enriched uranium (HEU), creating the potential for product shortages and concerns related to nuclear proliferation and the management of toxic waste.

NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes LLC

Based in Beloit, Wisconsin, NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes LLC (northstarnm.com) was founded in 2006 to address the needs of the nuclear medicine market in the United States. A wholly owned subsidiary of NorthStar Medical Technologies LLC, the company is committed to resolving industry-wide supply challenges that have caused shortages of vital medical isotopes, negatively impacting patient care and stalling clinical research. Its patented technologies include innovative non-uranium based molybdenum-99 production methods, a novel separation chemistry system and tools for the nuclear medicine market.