Should new Nuclear Reactors be considered as an option to solve Technetium shortage problem?

Worldwide, more than 80% of Nuclear Medicine procedures use a radiotracer produced through a 99Mo/99mTc generator - 99mTc – Technetium 99metastable. Most of the radiochemistry and equipments is optimized for this radioisotope characteristics already for more than 35 years, making it very difficult to replace. Worldwide production of 99Mo is based essentially with only five Nuclear Reactors that are becoming obsolete and fragile with aging, shutting down more and more frequently as they approach the end of their shelf-life. Seeking for solutions, some Governments – and the EU – plan to build new dedicated Nuclear Reactor(s). Our work defends another option.