One PSMA agent outshines competitors at detecting prostate cancer recurrence
Results from an ongoing study comparing two prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted PET radiopharmaceuticals reveal that one may have a slight edge when it comes to identifying small postoperative prostate lesions.
Both Posluma (flotufolastat F 18), which is manufactured by Blue Earth Diagnostics, and Pylarify (piflufolastat F 18), manufactured by Lantheus, have been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for detecting PSMA-positive lesions on PET imaging. The current study is evaluating the ability of each to assess urinary radioactivity and detect smaller lesions in post-prostatectomy patients with low PSA biochemical recurrence.
Lower urinary radioactivity is important in PSMA-PET imaging because it paves the way for more optimal image quality, which in turn makes it easier to visualize small lesions near the bladder and ureters that might otherwise go undetected. So far, the study has evaluated the standard uptake value of each agent in 55 eligible individuals.
Preliminary results indicate that Posluma triggers significantly less radioactivity in the bladder. Across 55 patients, the median bladder standard uptake value was 10.9 for Posluma and 29 for Pylarify. Secondary analyses showed that this resulted in higher lesion detection rates in men with very low PSA levels (≤0.2 ng/mL). Majority-read patient-level detection rates were 52.4% with Posluma, compared to 38.1% with Pylarify.
These results could help inform how providers manage rising PSA levels in men who have undergone radical prostatectomy.
"For men who have already undergone surgery for prostate cancer, a rising PSA can be deeply concerning, especially when conventional imaging cannot clearly show whether or where the disease has returned," Eugene Teoh, PhD, chief medical officer of Blue Earth Diagnostics, said in a statement on the findings. "This head-to-head study provides important clinical evidence from a rigorous intra-patient comparison, demonstrating that Posluma exhibits significantly lower urinary radioactivity while maintaining meaningful detection capability in men with early biochemical recurrence.”
For more information on the study results, click here.
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.