DuchemBio announced on Thursday that it has obtained a license from the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) for a recovery and refining facility to recycle oxygen-18 (O-18) concentrate, successfully achieving the localization of a key material for radiopharmaceuticals that were previously entirely dependent on imports.

While O-18 concentrate is an essential material used to manufacture radiopharmaceuticals, it is rare as it accounts for only 0.2 percent in ordinary water (H₂O).

The material also must be concentrated to 98 percent to be used as a core raw material for radiopharmaceuticals.

As a result, Korean radiopharmaceutical manufacturers import all of their O-18 supply from countries such as Japan, China, and the U.S., and a disruption in the supply of O-18 concentrate will mean that it will be impossible to manufacture essential diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals for Korean patients.

To resolve this matter, DuchemBio has been jointly developing O-18 recycling technology for the past two years in partnership with Qutope.

With the final approval from the government for its facility, DuchemBio expects that the recycling and production of O-18 concentrate in Korea will be possible in earnest.

The company expects to improve profitability by securing a stable raw material supply chain and reducing costs, while also entering overseas markets.

"With the government approval, we have established a stable supply chain for essential materials for radiopharmaceuticals and further enhanced our business competitiveness," DuchemBio CEO Kim Sang-woo said. "By establishing a recycling system, we will prepare for a surge in global demand in the future and expand our business by entering the domestic and overseas radiopharmaceutical raw material markets."