MDS Nordion begins medical isotope shipments

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's MDS Nordion started shippingmedical isotopes on Wednesday after a prolonged shutdown of anuclear reactor at Chalk River, Ontario, disrupted the supplyof isotopes to health facilities around the world.
Nordion, which supplies about 50 percent of the world'smedical isotopes, has been hard hit by the shutdown of thenuclear plant where they are made. The Chalk River plant hadbeen off line since November and resumed shipments to MDSNordion on Tuesday.
Nordion spokeswoman Shelley Maclean said the companyshipped the isotopes, used in cancer tests and other medicalprocedures, to customers on Wednesday and was "able to meet 100percent of the orders."
Maclean said, however, that it was uncertain how thebacklog in orders for the isotopes would be settled.
"Our customers are still trying to sort through how theyare going to manage that, so we are just taking our lead fromthem, based on what they are going to need," she told Reuters.
The Chalk River plant is operated by Atomic Energy ofCanada Ltd, a government-owned nuclear technology firm. It wasreturned to service on Sunday after the federal governmentpushed through legislation allowing it to restart despiteconcerns expressed by Canada's nuclear safety regulator.
The reactor makes more than two-thirds of global supply ofthe medical radioisotopes. Its shutdown caused shortages ofisotopes around the world.
When injected into the body, the isotopes give offradiation that can be seen by a camera to diagnose cancer,heart disease and other medical conditions.
(Reporting by Scott Anderson; Editing by Peter Galloway)