[68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11: The First FDA-Approved 68Ga-Radiopharmaceutical for PET Imaging of Prostate Cancer

Abstract

For the positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of prostate cancer, radiotracers targeting the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) are nowadays used in clinical practice. Almost 10 years after its discovery, [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 has been approved in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the first 68Ga-radiopharmaceutical for the PET imaging of PSMA-positive prostate cancer in 2020. This radiopharmaceutical combines the peptidomimetic Glu-NH-CO-NH-Lys(Ahx)-HBED-CC with the radionuclide 68Ga, enabling specific imaging of tumor cells expressing PSMA. Such a targeting approach may also be used for therapy planning as well as potentially for the evaluation of treatment response.