NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes and Ion Beam Applications (IBA), a provider of proton therapy solutions for the treatment of cancer, expanded its collaboration to increase the global availability of technetium-99m (Tc-99m), the company announced today.

“NorthStar is delighted to expand its collaboration with IBA, as we view them to be an ideal partner to grow the use of non-uranium based Mo-99 to support a sustainable and innovative future for nuclear medicine,” NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes CEO Stephen Merrick said in a statement.

According to a release, the collaboration is an expansion of the contract under which IVA is providing NorthStar with up to eight Rhodotron TT 300-HE electron beam accelerators.

The first pair of IBA accelerators are due to arrive in early April.