Radiopharmaceuticals Pattern of Development and Utilisation in India

Abstract

The availability of research reactors at an early stage of our Atomic Energy Programme led to developmental efforts in the field of radiopharmaceuticals. Starting with temporary laboratories for this work, a sophisticated and dedicated Radiopharmaceutical Laboratory is now installed at Vashi in New Bombay. The use of several /sup 125/I-labelled compounds like Rose-Bengal, hippuran, etc. for imaging has been replaced over the years by /sup 99m/Tc compounds; the final formulations are prepared at the hospital using generators and cold kits supplied by the Board of Radioisotope Technology. Parallel with the development of short lived generators in radiopharmaceuticals came advances in imaging and instrumentation techniques, the scanners being replaced by sophisticated gamma cameras, with capabilities for tomography and computerisation. About 40 centres in India have the modern instrumentation and equipment needed for carrying out nuclear medicine procedures. Further growth of nuclear medicine centres in the country has, however, been limited by the need to import such advanced high cost instrumentation not currently available from indigenous sources. Regarding in-vitro radiopharmaceuticals, some RIA and IRMA kits and procedures have been developed. These include assay of T/sub 3/, T/sub 4/ and TSH in the thyroid group of hormones. Kits for several other important procedures are still being imported by some large medical centres. There are over a hundred and fifty medical laboratories carrying out RIA procedures.