COMMERCIAL AND PET RADIOISOTOPE MANUFACTURING WITH A MEDICAL CYCLOTRON

Mount Sinai has extensive experience in producing radionuclides for co mmercial sales and for incorporation into radiopharmaceuticals, includ ing PET. Currently, an attempt is being made to supply radiochemicals to radiopharmaceutical manufacturers outside the hospital, to prepare radiopharmaceuticals for in-house use, and to prepare PET radiopharmac euticals, such as 2-[F-18] FDG, for outside sales. This use for both c ommercial and PET manufacturing is atypical for a hospital-based cyclo tron. To accomplish PET radiopharmaceutical sales, the hospital operat es a nuclear pharmacy. A review of operational details for the past se veral years shows a continuing dependence on commercial sales which is reflected in research and developmental aspects and in staffing. Deve lopmental efforts have centered primarily on radionuclide production, target development, and radiochemical processing optimization.