Saving Lives While Generating Power.
The world's supply of critical medical isotopes depends on a handful of aging research reactors, most of which are over 60 years old. When they shut down for maintenance or reach end of life, hospitals cancel diagnostic imaging procedures and delay cancer treatments. The ARC-100 produces essential medical isotopes as a byproduct of normal power generation, creating a new, reliable supply source without requiring dedicated irradiation facilities.
The Reactors the World Depends On Are Running Out of Time.
Five research reactors produce approximately 95% of the world's supply of Mo-99, the parent isotope of Tc-99m. These reactors, located in Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa, and Australia, average over 60 years of age. Canada's NRU reactor, which once supplied over 40% of global Mo-99, permanently shut down in 2018.
When any of these reactors undergoes planned maintenance or experiences unplanned outages, global isotope supply drops precipitously. Hospitals delay or cancel tens of thousands of diagnostic procedures. Patients wait weeks for imaging that should happen in days. The 66-hour half-life of Mo-99 means it cannot be stockpiled. Supply must be continuous, or it does not exist.
No major new isotope-producing reactor has been commissioned in over two decades. The replacement pipeline is virtually empty. This is not a future risk. It is a present crisis.
Average age of major isotope-producing reactors
Supply 95% of the world's Mo-99
Depend on Tc-99m globally
Mo-99 cannot be stockpiled
Power Generation + Isotope Production. Simultaneously.
Unlike dedicated research reactors that exist solely to produce isotopes, the ARC-100 generates medical isotopes as a natural byproduct of its power generation operations. The fast neutron spectrum and high neutron flux within the reactor core create the conditions necessary for isotope production without requiring dedicated irradiation targets or interrupting normal electricity generation.
This dual-purpose operating model transforms the economics of isotope production. The capital cost of the reactor is justified by electricity revenue. Isotope production is an additional revenue stream with minimal marginal cost, not a standalone investment that must compete for limited government research funding.
For governments and health systems concerned about supply security, the ARC-100 offers a fundamentally different model: a fleet of commercial power reactors, each contributing to medical isotope supply as part of normal operations, rather than dependence on a handful of aging, single-purpose research facilities.
The Isotopes Driving Modern Medicine and Future Cures.
Molybdenum-99 / Technetium-99m
Tc-99m is the most widely used medical radioisotope in the world, essential for diagnostic imaging of heart disease, cancer, kidney function, and bone disorders. Over 40 million procedures per year rely on Tc-99m globally. It is produced from the decay of Mo-99, which has a 66-hour half-life, making it impossible to stockpile and requiring continuous, reliable production.
Actinium-225
Ac-225 is the frontier of “search and destroy” oncology, emitting high-energy alpha particles that eliminate cancer cells while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. It is the core component for emerging therapies targeting metastatic prostate cancer, leukemia, and solid tumors. Current global supply is measured in millicuries—a fraction of the volume required to support the hundreds of clinical trials currently underway.
Cobalt-60
Co-60 is the primary radiation source for external beam radiotherapy (used in over 70% of cancer treatment centers in developing nations) and is essential for sterilizing single-use medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and food products. Global demand exceeds 300 million curies annually, and supply is concentrated in a handful of aging reactors.
Iodine-131
I-131 is the standard-of-care treatment for thyroid cancer and hyperthyroidism, used in over 2 million treatments annually worldwide. It is produced in research reactors that are approaching end of life, creating growing supply uncertainty for oncology centers globally.
Lutetium-177
Lu-177 is the backbone of next-generation targeted radionuclide therapies for prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors. Demand is projected to grow 10x by 2030 as new therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals receive regulatory approval. Current production capacity cannot meet projected demand.
Lead-212
Pb-212 is a powerful alpha-emitter used in specialized radiopharmaceuticals to deliver lethal radiation directly to cancer cells with sub-millimeter precision. It is currently being fast-tracked in clinical trials for hard-to-treat cancers, including melanoma and neuroendocrine tumors. Because it has a short 10.6-hour half-life, a reliable, decentralized production network is essential to ensure patient access.
Copper-67
Cu-67 is a “dual-purpose” isotope that allows doctors to both see the tumor (via imaging) and treat it (via beta-emission) using the exact same molecule. It is highly effective for pediatric cancers and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Despite its massive potential, Cu-67 is currently one of the most difficult isotopes to produce at a commercial scale, creating a major opening for advanced reactor deployment.
A Fleet Model for Isotope Supply.
The current model, depending on 5 aging research reactors for 95% of global supply, is inherently fragile. A single unplanned outage can trigger a continent-wide shortage of diagnostic imaging capability. The ARC-100 fleet model distributes isotope production across multiple commercial reactors operating in different jurisdictions, eliminating single points of failure.
Each ARC-100 operates on a 20-year fuel cycle, providing two decades of continuous isotope production per unit. As the fleet scales to meet electricity demand across data centers, grids, and industrial facilities, medical isotope supply scales in parallel without requiring any additional dedicated infrastructure or government subsidies.
For nations seeking to establish domestic isotope production capability, the ARC-100 offers a commercially viable path that does not depend on research reactor construction or highly-enriched uranium targets, both of which face significant regulatory and non-proliferation constraints.
Distributed Production
Multiple reactors across jurisdictions eliminate single points of failure in the isotope supply chain.
20-Year Continuous Supply
Each ARC-100 unit produces isotopes for the duration of its fuel cycle. No refueling interruptions for two decades.
Commercial Viability
Isotope revenue supplements electricity sales. No government subsidies or research grants required.
Non-Proliferation Compliant
No highly-enriched uranium targets. Production uses low-enriched fuel in a commercially licensed reactor.
Secure the Isotope Supply Chain.
Whether you represent a government health agency evaluating domestic isotope production capability, a radiopharmaceutical company seeking long-term supply agreements, or a hospital network concerned about imaging isotope availability, our team is ready to discuss how the ARC-100 fleet model addresses your supply security requirements.