INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Zevacor Molecular Board of Directors announced approval of funding to purchase the only 70 MeV commercial cyclotron dedicated to medical use in the United States. Zevacor Molecular is engaged with various vendors and will award the contract within 30 days. The 70 MeV cyclotron, expected to be operational in the fall of 2016, will expand Zevacor Molecular's pharmaceutical line.

Zevacor Molecular, an independently owned healthcare firm that manufactures and distributes PET and SPECT radiopharmaceuticals, has committed to this multi-million dollar project to introduce a commercial medical 70 MeV Cyclotron in order to stabilize the domestic supply of medical isotopes needed to diagnose and treat critical illnesses.

"Medical isotopes are critical to early and accurate diagnosis of cancer, heart disease and a number of other life threatening diseases," said Zevacor Molecular Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer John Zehner. "In the past, the supply of medical isotopes has not been continuous, making it difficult to offer these diagnostics and therapeutics. This investment will allow us to provide year round production of medically necessary isotopes for patients."

Zevacor Molecular was established in 2012. Zevacor's efforts come at a time when there is little certainty of supply in the market for medical isotopes. The 70 MeV will have the ability to supply patients with medically necessary isotopes used for diagnostic imaging and therapies within oncology, neurology and cardiology. Although the project is focused on Strontium (Sr-82), which is the raw material for Rubidium (Rb-82) generators, it also opens up several research isotopes currently not widely available in the United States such as Copper-67 which is a therapeutic for treating cancer.

SOURCE Zevacor Molecular