Bolivia's Center for Research and Development in Nuclear Technology, built jointly with Russia, has successfully produced radiopharmaceuticals in a test mode, senior executive at Russia's Rosatom said on Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th December, 2022) Bolivia's Center for Research and Development in Nuclear Technology, built jointly with Russia, has successfully produced radiopharmaceuticals in a test mode, senior executive at Russia's Rosatom said on Tuesday.
"After consultations and a technical inspection, we agreed on specific steps to put the constructed facilities into commercial operation, including the cyclotron complex, which has already been used to produce in a test mode all types of radiopharmaceuticals mentioned in the contract documentation," Evgeny Pakermanov said in a statement following a joint Russian-Bolivian inspection of the CNTRD, the Cyclotron Radiopharmacy Preclinical Complex.
The radiopharmaceuticals produced at the center will be supplied to Bolivia's nuclear medicine centers for the diagnosis and treatment of more than 5000 patients per year, as well as exported to neighboring countries, according to Rosatom.
"I would also like to note that thanks to Russian-Bolivian cooperation, Bolivia became the first country on the continent capable of producing the rare radiopharmaceutical iodine-123, which is necessary for the treatment of thyroid cancer," Pakermanov added.
The center is located 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) above the sea level. Its exploitation is expected to greatly contribute to the development of science, healthcare and education in Bolivia while also creating more than 500 high-skilled jobs for Bolivian citizens. The complete project is scheduled to be launched in 2025.
The Center for Research and Development in Nuclear Technology in Bolivia is one of Russia's largest projects in Latin America. The Russian nuclear giant hopes that it will help open up new opportunities for exporting Russian non-power-related nuclear technologies to the countries of the South American continent.
