Radiopharmaceutical

Radiopharmaceuticals are a group of pharmaceutical drugs which have radioactivity. They can be used as diagnostic and therapeutic agents in nuclear medicine. Radiopharmaceuticals are unique medicinal formulations containing radioisotopes which are used in major clinical areas for diagnosis and/or therapy.

History

The history of radiopharmaceuticals goes back to the discovery of radioactivity by Henri Becquerel in 1896. The first radiopharmaceuticals were developed by George de Hevesy in 1923, when he used naturally radioactive radium to study the dynamics of lead in rats.

Types

Radiopharmaceuticals can be classified into two major types: diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals.

Diagnostic Radiopharmaceuticals

Diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals, when used with medical imaging equipment, allow doctors to see inside the body. They emit gamma rays that can be detected externally by special types of cameras such as gamma cameras or PET scanners. These radiopharmaceuticals are used to examine the blood flow to the brain, functioning of the liver, lungs, heart or kidneys, to assess bone growth, and to confirm other diagnostic results.

Therapeutic Radiopharmaceuticals

Therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals emit beta particles that destroy cancer cells while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. They are used to treat conditions such as hyperthyroidism, thyroid cancer, blood disorders, pain relief in certain types of bone cancers and other conditions.

Production

Radiopharmaceuticals are produced by incorporating a radioactive isotope into a pharmaceutical. The process of producing a radiopharmaceutical involves two main steps: the production of the radionuclide and the coupling of this radionuclide to the pharmaceutical.

Regulation

In many countries, radiopharmaceuticals must be licensed by a national regulatory authority such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States or the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in the European Union.

See also

• Nuclear medicine
• Radioisotope
• Radiotherapy
• Radiology

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  Radiopharmaceutical