Peptide and pseudo-peptide 64CU radiopharmaceuticals

In recent years, the introduction of theranostic twins for specific diagnosis and treatment in patients with neuroendocrine tumors became a nuclear medicine success story. Cu-64/F-18 labeled prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) for molecular imaging with PET-CT and peptide radioligand therapy with Lu-177 labeled PSMA inhibitors will favorably become the next theranostic twins in nuclear medicine history. Ga-68/Cu-64/F-18 PSMA PET/CT detects metastatic prostate cancer with high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. In addition, it can be used to select patients for radioligand therapy and evaluate therapy response. Cu-64-labeled radiopharmaceuticals such as Cu-64-PSMA, and Cu-64-somatostatin analogs are promising imaging tools in the assessment of primary disease and also in the detection of disease recurrence and to evaluate therapy response. The long half-life of Cu-64 allows the distribution of the tracer to PET centers as a satellite concept, who otherwise has no access to Ga-68 generators.