What is the difference between Radiochemical and Radiopharmaceuticals?

Radiochemical vs Radiopharmaceutical

 It is a fundamental question for the field of Radiopharmaceuticals. Lets us understand step by step. 

A CHEMICAL is a material that is artificially prepared through a reaction or purified from natural resources and is utilized to bring changes in another material [1-3]. Similarly RADIOCHEMICAL is a chemical that contain atleast one radioactive element especially for its application in Industry or healthcare sector [1-3] . 

A PHARMACEUTICAL is material used in the diagnostic imaging, treatment, or prevention of a disease [4]. Similarly RADIOPHARMACEUTICAL is a pharmaceutical containing atleast one  radioactive element. 

 Radiopharmaceutical is either an entity made up of a radionuclide and a vehicle molecule with high affinity for a particular organ e.g. Technetium methylene diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP) or a radioactive cation with a suitable anion like Radium Chloride (223RaCl2) or radioactive anion with a suitable cation like Sodium Iodide (Na131I) or simply radioactive gas like Xenon (133Xe) [5-6]. 

The most important point that separates radiochemical from radiopharmaceutical is that radiopharmaceutical should be suitable for administration to humans/ living body for diagnostic imaging or therapy. Hence they should undergo and clear all quality control tests e.g. physicochemical and  biological quality control quality control tests like sterility and pyrogen/ Bacterial Endotoxin test that are required of a conventional pharmaceutical [5-6]. 

 

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Reference: 

[1] https://dictionary.cambridge.org

[2] https://www.merriam-webster.com

[3] https://www.lexico.com

[4] https://www.britannica.com 

[5] https://www.iaea.org/topics/diagnostic-radiopharmaceuticals

[6] Saha, Gopal B. "Radiopharmaceuticals and General Methods of Radiolabeling." Fundamentals of Nuclear Pharmacy. Springer, Cham, 2018. 93-121.