Thank you for that question.
This is a global shortage. I think we forget that sometimes, that we're dealing with a global shortage of medical isotopes.
We have faced challenges for many months now, and it's also important to recognize the efforts of health care communities in the provinces and territories in responding to the disruption in the supply of medical isotopes. Thanks to their efforts, patients will be receiving the scans they require.
Health Canada continues to regularly interact with the provinces and the territories and the health community through bi-weekly calls where supply forecasts and best practices are shared. Through these calls and supply forecast messages, Health Canada has provided early notification of the week's supply period to these groups.
As well, Health Canada reissued a guidance document that was reviewed by my special advisor, Dr. Sandy McEwan, and the ad hoc group of medical experts and provincial and territorial officials. The guidance document captures the key strategies and measures that are well known and widely accepted, such as use of alternatives to free up TC-99, maximizing available TC-99 to avoid decay, and use of TC-99 on priorities where no other alternatives are available.
Health Canada is also using proactive measures to address regulatory requests, and we have expedited the reviews for submissions to increase the supply in Canada. As of last week, we have approved the supply from the Maria reactor in Poland to make TC-99 available in Canada as well. So Health Canada will continue to respond to applications received from other countries.
The special access program for emergency use, which will allow some products to be used at a physician's request, will be reviewed in 24 hours.
There are also clinical trials, which will undergo expedited review on a priority basis. The target is about seven days, which will respond to the use of products such as chloride, to be used at the Ottawa Heart Institute, as an example.
I also want to assure you that Health Canada will continue to support the provinces and the territories and the health community as they mobilize their strategies to respond to the lower period of the supply.
Thank you.