Drugmaker expands manufacturing of popular prostate PET imaging agent
Makers of a popular new prostate cancer radiotracer announced the expansion of its manufacturing footprint in the United States earlier this week.
Blue Earth Diagnostics is partnering with Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah to amplify its production of flotufolastat F 18 (Posluma). The radiopharmaceutical is a radiohybrid PET imaging agent that binds to PSMA-positive lesions. It is used to identify and quantify prostate cancer and metastases.
The move will make the Huntsman Cancer Institute the first academic medical center in the U.S. to produce the agent, though it is the third PSMA-targeting drug the organization has manufactured. This, experts believe, represents a valuable step toward expanding access to prostate cancer care in the region. It will be manufactured through Huntsman Cancer Institute’s Center for Quantitative Cancer Imaging and Theranostics (CQCIT).
“This milestone highlights our research and development in cancer imaging and theranostics, which enables our patients in the Mountain West to have access to the most innovative diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals,” Jeffrey Yap, PhD, director of the CQCIT and a professor of radiology at the University of Utah, said in an announcement.
Posluma was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May 2023. It is classified as a radiohybrid due to its ability to bind to additional isotopes used for therapeutic purposes. It is the only radiohybrid PSMA-targeting imaging agent approved for clinical use in the U.S.
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In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.