Tae-hyung Kim, Gounee Yang

Global Economic News

SOUTH KOREA will export its domestically developed medical radioisotope germanium-68 (Ge-68) to the United States.

Ge-68 is a raw material of radioisotopes for cancer diagnosis and is used to maintain the accuracy of X-ray imaging devices such as positron emission tomography (PET).

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) will export Ge-68 produced by Cyclotron, its radiation research institute, to U.S. medical device maker Sanders Medical. This is the first time that South Korea will supply radioactive isotopes to the United States.

Sanders Medical is a radioisotope developer founded in 1994. It produces and supplies radioisotope products for maintenance of radiation-producing equipment.

The KAERI and Saehan, a specialized company in radioactive drugs, have completed export declaration and licensing procedures to the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission and shipped Ge-68.