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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-2246
ANSWERED ON 12/03/2026
RADIOPHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS
2246. SHRI HARSH MAHAJAN
Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:-
(a) the purposes for which radiation technologies are being used in the medical and health
sector in the country, including Himachal Pradesh;
(b) the details of radiopharmaceutical products developed/launched by the Department during
the last three years till date and which of these products are available in Himachal Pradesh;
(c) whether Government has taken any steps for indigenisation and commercialisation of
radiopharmaceutical products; and
(d) if so, the details thereof with specific reference to Himachal Pradesh?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
AND PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)
(a) Radiation technologies play a significant role in contemporary human healthcare and
extensively used for therapeutic and diagnostic applications in healthcare, especially in
cancer care in the country. These technologies are widely employed in evaluating organ
function and diagnosis of diseases like cancer in a cost-effective non-invasive manner.
Radiation technologies are also used for treating various types of cancers prevalent in our
country. One of the key components of these technologies is radiopharmaceuticals-
radioisotope-tagged drugs that are safe for human use and utilized in both diagnosis and
therapy.
Another important radiation-based method is Brachytherapy, a form of internal radiation
therapy. In this approach, radioactive sources are placed inside or near the tumor,
allowing a concentrated radiation dose while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy
tissues. Brachytherapy is commonly used to treat cancers of the prostate, breast, cervix,
eye and skin. Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has made significant contributions
in this field. Iodine-125-ocuprosta seeds for the treatment of eye and prostate cancer,and Ruthenium-106 (Ru-106) eye plaques for localized treatment of eye cancers are some
of the major contributions.
Gamma radiation from Cesium-137 is widely used for blood irradiation to prevent
transfusion-associated diseases. Gamma rays or electron beams are also used for
radiation sterilization of heat-sensitive medical products such as syringes, catheters,
surgical gloves, implants in packed condition by destroying microorganisms on medical
devices.
(b) New products launched over the last 3 years are given in the following Table:
S. No. Name of product Application
1 Medical grade high specific activity Parent of 99mTc, the widely
Molybdenum-99 for 99Mo/99mTc used diagnostic
generator radioisotope
2 No carrier added (nca) 177Lu- Treatment of
DOTATATE neuroendocrine cancer
3 No carrier added (nca) 177Lu-PSMA- Treatment of prostate
617 cancer
4 Bhabhasphere with delivery system Treatment of liver cancer
The following listed nuclear medicine centres in Himachal Pradesh are registered with
BRIT for the supply of radiopharmaceutical products:
i. Shri Balaji Super speciality Health care Pvt Ltd, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh
ii. Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
iii. Atulaya Healthcare Pvt Ltd., Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
Further, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is placing significant efforts towards
indigenous development of radiopharmaceuticals and allied products as cost-effective
alternatives to imported radiopharmaceutical products. These radiopharmaceutical products
are manufactured and supplied by Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology (BRIT),
Mumbai. Nuclear medicine centers across the country utilize the radiopharmaceutical
products supplied by BRIT. Some of the important radioisotopes / radiopharmaceutical
products developed and made available during the last three years are mentioned in table
below;
S. No Name of the Product Application
1 177Lu-DOTMP/177Lu-EDTMP Bone pain palliation
2 177Lu-Hydroxy Apatite Radiation synovectomy
3 90Y-Hydroxy Apatite Radiation synovectomy
4 99mTc-HYNIC-[cyclo(RGDfk)] Malignant tumor imaging
2
5 68Ga-PSMA-11 Prostate cancer imaging
6 90Y-Glass microspheres (Bhabha Spheres) Liver cancer therapy7 177Lu-DOTATATE Neuroendocrine tumor therapy
Therapy of breast cancer
8 177Lu-DOTA-Trastuzumab
expressing HER-2 receptors
For the preparation of
9 Molybdenum-99 (Fission moly) molybdenum-99/technetium-
99m generator
(c) & (d) All radiopharmaceuticals manufactured and supplied by BRIT are indigenously produced
and commercially available within the country.
The radiopharmaceuticals produced and supplied by BRIT are distributed to more than 400
nuclear medicine centres across the country, including centres in Himachal Pradesh.
Comprehensive details of all radiopharmaceutical products available for users nationwide can
be accessed through BRIT’s official e-portal: https://eportal.britatom.gov.in
It may be noted that PET-based Fluorine-18 radiopharmaceuticals are supplied only to
restricted regions in and around Mumbai and Kolkata. This limitation is due to the short
half-life and expiry period of Fluorine-18 which necessitates rapid transportation and
immediate clinical use after production.
BARC is constantly making R&D efforts for indigenous synthesis of peptide/small molecule
ligands used for the preparation of clinically important radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis
and therapy of various types of cancer. Additionally, collaborations are established with
national institutes to popularise research in nuclear medicine as well as to tap their expertise
in the field of nuclear medicine. Collaborations are also established with nuclear medicine
centers for the translation of new radiopharmaceuticals from laboratory to the clinic.
Subsequently efforts are made to scale up the radiopharmaceuticals to meet the demand of
the country.
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