There has been a renewed interest in the use of Gallium in PET imaging in recent years. Gallium Ga-68 readily forms stable complexes with DOTA, allowing peptides and other small molecules to be radiolabeled at high specific activities. Gallium Ga-68 has a positron yield as high as 89% of all disintegrations, making it well suited for PET imaging. Its half-life of 68 minutes is compatible with the pharmacokinetics of many peptides of interest in diagnostic imaging and therapy. The 271-day half-life of the parent Ge-68 isotope allows the use of the Gallium Ge-68/Ga-68 generator for at least one year in locations that do not have access to a cyclotron. This makes it very cost effective long term and equally, an economical practice to start.
Imaging Equipment have recently introduced the Russian Obninsk Ge-68/Ga-68 Generator into its product portfolio to complement the existing IGG100 Ga-68 generator which offers excellent performance, low Ge-68 breakthrough, and light weight.
Eckert and Ziegler have now included a package solution of both synthesis device and choice of generator. This makes radiopharmaceutical production a possibility for centres doing as little as 2 or 3 scans per week. “We have seen an impressive positive feedback from our physicians from the use of Ga-68-labeled peptides for clinical diagnosis and the demand is ever increasing,” says Dr Clemens Decristoforo of the Clinical Department of Nuclear Medicine at the Medical University in Innsbruck, Austria.
Eckert and Ziegler are holding a symposium on Ga-68 and Y-90 during the EANM in Munich in conjunction with Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals. This will be held on Sunday, October 12 from 18:30 to 20:30 at the Conference Center Messe Campus Riem. Further details will be available on this from Imaging Equipment at BNMS later this month in Liverpool or at the WMIC in Nice from Eckert and Ziegler.
Posted on 09 Sep 2008
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