The new PALLAS-reactor is important. Every day alone, tens of thousands of people need treatment with radiopharmaceuticals, for example for the diagnosis or treatment of cardiovascular diseases or cancer.
And that number is only expected to increase, since:
- We are living longer.
- There is a rapid development of new, more effective therapies.
- There is a rise in demand from more and more hospitals, which is also due to increasingly better healthcare in developing countries.
Availability of medical isotopes
Every day, nuclear specialists work with radioactive materials in hospitals. Over half of these hospitals in the Netherlands and Europe depend on the supply of Petten. The Netherlands is market leader (30% of the total market) for irradiation of raw materials.
With the arrival of PALLAS, a sufficient supply of medical isotopes will remain available after closure of the HFR, and research and development of new treatments will be given a boost. Supply guarantee and innovation are the core concepts of the PALLAS-reactor.