Minister: Iran Ranks 1st in Producing Medical Equipment, Medicine in Region http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9002261003

Iranian Health Minister Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi boasted the country's astonishing progress in producing medical tools, equipment and drugs, saying that Iran ranks first in synthesizing different drugs and medications in the region.  "Iran certainly ranks first in the region in producing medical equipment and medicine and those who stand behind us cannot be compared with Iran at all," Vahid Dastjerdi said addressing the inaugural ceremony of an international exhibition on medical, dentistry and laboratory equipments in Tehran on Monday. 

The minister further mentioned that Iran exports medical tools and equipment worth $12bln each year and produces 96% of its medical needs, adding that the country also produces 70% of its needed pharmaceutical raw materials domestically. Iran has taken wide strides in science and technology, particularly in medical and medicinal fields, in recent years. In a landmark pharmaceutical progress, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) announced in January that Iranian scientists have managed to synthesize two new types of radiomedicines to treat malignant types of cancer. 

"The Iranian scientists and researchers of the AEOI's Nuclear Science and Technology Research Center succeeded in producing two new radiomedicines for the first time to cure malignant cancers," AEOI Spokesman Hamid Khadem Qaemi said at the time. He named the radiomedicines as Lutetium-177 Phosponate (EDTMP) for bone pain palliation in metastatic prostate cancer and Iodine 131 Chlorotoxin to treat malignant glioma. Also, Iran in December unveiled five different radiomedicine projects with applications for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of a number of diseases. 

In September, Iran announced that it plans to synthesize 20 kinds of radiomedicine inside the country, stressing that its scientists are capable of supplying the 20%-enriched uranium needed for the production of such drugs.  "Iran has gained the necessary preparedness to produce 20 radiomedicines and we will provide the 20% (enriched) fuel needed for the production of these medicines this year," Deputy Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) for Planning, International and Parliamentary Affairs Massoud Akhavan-Fard told FNA in September. In addition to the Tehran research reactor which has long been used by radioisotope production, Iran also plans to build four other research reactors in the other parts of the country, he added.