DALLAS, April 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

The European Nuclear Medicine / Radiopharmaceuticals Market[SPECT/PET Radioisotopes (Technetium, F-18)], [Beta/Alpha radiation therapy (I131, Y-90)], [Applications (Cancer/Oncology, Cardiac)] & Stable Isotopes (Deuterium, C-13) - Global Trends & Forecast to 2017].

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http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/european-nuclear-medicine-radiopharmaceuticals-market-1107.html

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This report studies the European nuclear medicine market over the forecast period 2012-2017.

The European radiopharmaceutical market was valued at $1.1 billion in 2012 and is poised to reach $1.6 billion by 2017 at a CAGR of 6.8%.

The radioisotopes market is categorized into diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The diagnostic market consists of PET and SPECT technologies, while the therapy market comprises of beta emitters and brachytherapy seeds. The SPECT market accounted for a major share of the diagnostic segment in 2012. Significant radioisotopes in the SPECT diagnostic market are Tc-99m, Tl- 201, Ga-67, and I-123, while PET market is dominated by F-18 and Rb-82. The therapy market is led by I-131, Sm-153, Re-186, Y-90, and Lu-177. Alpha emitters are being developed and considered for cancer treatment, however not available commercially.

It is estimated that Tc-99m diagnostic procedures are expected to increase by more than 15% in mature markets of Europe, and other developed regions between 2010 and 2030, however shortage of Mo-99/Tc-99m has been a threat to this industry. The scheduled shutdown of the NRU reactor in Canada in 2016 and OSIRIS in France in 2018 is a major risk for manufacturers in the near future. Companies have increased the production of thallium to meet the shortage, as it is the most commonly used substitute for technetium-99 in cardiac-stress tests, conducted to evaluate the functioning of coronary arteries. Radiopharmaceuticals in neurological applications such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and dementia are also being preferred by practitioners besides conventional treatment. Further, upcoming radioisotopes such as Ra-223 (Alpharadin) and Ga-68 possess huge potential for clinical applications.

Increasing use of SPECT and PET scans, technical advancements in equipment and other factors such as rising awareness of radiopharmaceuticals among physicians, alpha radioimmunotherapy based targeted cancer treatment, and ready availability of radiopharmaceutical from cyclotrons have driven the market. High cost of devices using radioisotopes, short half-life, lack of good manufacturing practices, and stringent regulatory approvals are major hurdles to growth of the market.

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European Nuclear Medicine / Radiopharmaceuticals Market Worth by Reach $1.6 Billion by 2017