Iran has become the second country in the world to commercially produce Rhenium-188, a radioactive isotope used in cancer treatment, breaking Germany’s monopoly.
President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday attended a National Nuclear Technology Day ceremony where the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) unveiled six major technological achievements.
The accomplishments cover a range of fields, including the nuclear fuel cycle, radiopharmaceutical production, healthcare, and industrial uses of nuclear technology.
One of the significant achievements in the healthcare section was a new skin cream containing Rhenium-188 (Re-188) that provides an innovative solution for treating common skin cancers.
Rhenium-188 is a high-energy beta-emitting radioisotope with a short physical half-life of 16.9 hours, making it a highly promising option for therapeutic nuclear medicine.
Until now, Germany was recognized as the sole commercial producer of Rhenium-188, but on Wednesday, Iran ended that monopoly, becoming the second country to manufacture the radiopharmaceutical agent.
In the healthcare field, two other groundbreaking radiopharmaceuticals were introduced: Gallium FAPI, designed for the detection of over 30 types of cancer, and Lutetium FAPI, which offers targeted treatment for advanced cancers.
During the ceremony, head of the AEOI Mohammad Eslami said the AEOI has gone through multiple stages of evolution.
“Today, the organization has reached such maturity that it can deliver around 150 achievements annually in scientific, technological, and industrial fields,” he said.
This underscores the significance of a knowledge-based economy and the value chain, which are grounded in the domestic production of heavy water, he said, noting that the organization’s radiopharmaceuticals and other products are now exported to at least 15 countries around the world.
Eslami further emphasized that leading countries in advanced technologies benefit from the capabilities of the AEOI.
Tehran has repeatedly emphasized that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful.
