North American Member News August 2025

In late July, the Ontario government announced that it has formed a new advisory panel, the Nuclear Isotope Innovation Council of Ontario (NIICO), with a goal of doubling the number of medical isotopes produced in the province over the next four year. NIICO will work with the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council (CNIC) and others to provide recommendations to meet these goals. The panel will focus on opportunities to expand isotope production, in part, using Ontario’s nuclear reactor fleet to assist in isotope production.

According to the Ontario government, “Ontario’s nuclear reactors (Bruce, Pickering and Darlington stations) already produce approximately 50 per cent of the world’s isotopes that are used to treat head, neck and cervical cancers and sterilize medical equipment. The province is also a global leader in producing isotopes that are used in targeted prostate and neuroendocrine cancer therapy, as well as isotopes critical for diagnostic imaging of the heart, bones, lungs and kidneys.” 

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