The Department of Atomic Energy has set up a Veterinary Nuclear Medicine Centre at Mumbai. The centre is to undertake research on new radiopharmaceuticals in collaboration with BRIT, BARC, RMC and other such institutes in the country.

It is known that the preliminary works to standardize procedures and protocols in animals has already been initiated at the centre.

The centre, set up at the Department of Medicine, Bombay Veterinary College, is an ambitious project of the Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences of DAE. Though the central government had sanctioned the scheme in 1999, the works were over only few months back. The centre has been established at a total cost of around Rs. 84,59,273. The new research facility is the first of its kind in Asia, it is learnt.

The centre is planning to make available the scintigraphy facilities for all domestic animals.

In addition to research on new radio-pharmaceuticals, studies on pharmaco-dynamics, pharmaco-kinetics and some studies on mechanisms of action of new drug molecules would also be undertaken. The facilities of the centre is to be made available to national institutes, Government and Private Research and Development Laboratories, private Pharmaceuticals, other universities etc.