Technology Overview

A team at Imperial College London has developed a novel and highly specific radiotracer that can accurately identify neuroendocrine tumours in patients using the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanning platform.

18F-FET-βAG-TOCA was generated using ‘click’ chemistry through a triazole-based method. The radioisotope has acceptable metabolic stability with little or no defluorination.

In-human study on patients with NET showed that 18F-FET-βAG-TOCA had no adverse effects on the health. The radiotracer is detectable in the vascular compartment, liver, spleen, and kidneys within the first 6 minutes of radioligand injection.

While retaining reasonably high binding affinity compared to existing clinically applicable radioligands (68Ga- DOTATATE and 18F FDG), a lower background distribution in the liver of 18F-FET-βAG-TOCA was observed in the