ISU, Idaho Falls company team up to produce medical isotope for use in cancer diagnosis, treatment

Douglas Wells, director of the Idaho State University Idaho Accelerator Center, talks about the custom-built IAC accelerator that will be used to create medical isotopes. (ISU Photographic Services)

The Idaho Accelerator Center at Idaho State University is teaming up with International Isotopes, an Idaho Falls company, to produce Copper-67, a medical isotope that has not been consistently available in the United States.

Copper-67 can be used both for both diagnosis and treatment of people suffering from non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, as well as bladder, colo-rectal and ovarian cancers.

Under the arrangement, the Accelerator Center hopes to create enough pure Copper-67 by mid-summer to provide it to International Isotopes for initial testing. International Isotopes has facilities in Idaho Falls where it can package the materials for use at hospitals and clinics around the nation. In addition to its work at the accelerator center, ISU is providing expertise for chemical processing. International Isotopes has agreed to make an in-kind contribution of equipment for the isotope processing, technical support for packaging and shipping, and supporting safety staff.

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