According to an article published by World Nuclear Association in May 2020, more than 10,000 hospitals worldwide claim to be using radioisotopes for various medical procedures; interestingly, of the aforementioned applications, 90% were reported to be related to disease diagnosis. Typically, diagnostic tests, involving radiopharmaceuticals, are performed using highly specialized imaging solutions, such as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET).

It is worth highlighting that around 40 million diagnostic procedures, involving the use of the radioisotope Tc-99m alone, are conducted worldwide annually. Further, the introduction of the concept of theranostics, which involves the use of a single active ingredient for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, has opened up a new dimension of applications for nuclear medicine.

Over the years, medical research teams across the world have gradually tapped into the vast potential of radiopharmaceuticals and nuclear medicines. In fact, the technology that is now used in this field is reported to have witnessed significant evolution, in terms of technological sophistication.

As a result, the demand for such specialized chemicals has grown at an exponential rate. However, the development and production of radiopharmaceuticals is inherently complex, and requires specialized facilities and operational expertise.