Extraction centrifugal generator of 188Re and radiopharmaceuticals based on it for radionuclide therapy

Abstract

The results of the development of a medical-purpose extraction ¹⁸⁸Re generator and of ¹⁸⁸Re radiopharmaceuticals are presented. The main advantage of this generator is the possibility of using as starting material tungsten oxide of natural isotope composition, irradiated in a reactor with medium neutron flux [(1.0–1.4) × 10¹⁴n cm^–2 s^–1]. Separation of the parent ¹⁸⁸W and daughter ¹⁸⁸Re was performed in a centrifugal semicounter-current contactor developed at the Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences. The ¹⁸⁸Re yield is about 90%, and the radiochemical purity (Na¹⁸⁸ReO₄ content) is ≥95%. The content of the ¹⁸⁸W impurity is less than 1 × 10^–3% relative to the ¹⁸⁸Re activity, and the content of other radionuclides is less than 1 × 10^–4%. The resulting Na¹⁸⁸ReO₄ solution was registered as “Active pharmaceutical substance” and was used in the development and subsequent preclinical trials of several radiopharmaceuticals for radionuclide therapy of pain syndrome accompanying the development of cancer metastases into the skeleton, and also for radiosynovectomy.