NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes Receives Three Patents and Trademark Approval

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.