Scientists at the AEOI’s Nuclear Science and Technologies Research Center (Tasnim News Agency)

In a radio interview, Mohammad Ghannadi, the Deputy Head of Nuclear Planning and Strategic Supervision at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), announced that Iran has become the leading producer of diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals in the region.

Ghannadi highlighted the importance of diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals in the identification of various health issues and diseases, most notably brain hemorrhages, cancer, osteoporosis, and cardiac conditions.

According to Ghannadi, Iran produces diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals, including Technetium-99m, which is used by at least one million Iranian patients annually and helps diagnose 85 percent of the aforementioned diseases.

He also mentioned the domestically produced FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose), a diagnostic radioactive drug used to diagnose cerebral malfunctions like brain hemorrhages and tumors. Ghannadi explained that FDG facilitates more precise imaging of affected areas of the brain when used with PET (positron emission tomography) scan imaging devices.

Furthermore, the AEOI official highlighted Iran's achievement in producing Iodine-131, which is used in treating thyroid cancer. He also mentioned the production of other types of radioactive drugs that help alleviate orthopedic pain in cancer patients in the advanced stages.

Ghannadi emphasized that Iran holds a favorable position for exporting pharmaceuticals and is currently involved in research on the production of globally produced radiopharmaceuticals.

"We are currently engaged in the process of researching the production of radiopharmaceuticals that are being simultaneously produced on the global level," Ghannadi announced.

Last month, a member of the Board of Directors of the Iranian Syndicate of Pharmaceutical Industries said that Iran has saved billions of dollars due to its pharmaceutical industry producing the vast majority of needed medicines in the country.

Pharmaceutical companies, the top official said, managed to produce all the drugs needed by the local population throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, saving millions of dollars and thousands of lives.