GE is planning to use its proprietary FASTlab synthesis platform for multi-site clinical trials and commercial production of this agent. This technology features a single-use cassette that contains pre-measured quantities of all chemicals needed for the synthesis of radiopharmaceuticals used by technicians in commercial and research radiopharmacies. FASTlab cassettes require virtually no assembly and easily snap into the synthesis module. Strictly controlled and consistent production of PET tracer candidates at each clinical site is essential and this is a cassette based synthesis system that is not limited to a single tracer molecule, and accelerates the set up and execution of these trials. GE Healthcare's goal is to make innovative tracers available to patients and doctors as soon as possible.
About PET:
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PET scans create physiological images of chemical changes, such as sugar metabolism, which occur in tissue. In PET, a patient is typically injected with a small amount of radiopharmaceutical that releases positrons (i.e. the anti particle of the electron) which are absorbed in tissue, releasing two gamma rays at 180 apart. This unusual physical phenomenon makes PET imaging a much more accurate method for the detection and localization of disease, often at an early stage.
The radiopharmaceutical mostly used for clinical PET imaging currently is fluorine-18 2- fluoro-2-deoxyglucose ([18F]-FDG), whose uptake reflects glucose metabolism. FDG follows the same metabolic pathway as glucose. It is trapped in the cell where it accumulates at a rate proportional to glucose utilization. The accumulation of FDG is increased in tumor cells because of the higher metabolic rate. The higher FDG accumulation in tumors compared to normal tissue provides the basis for a high tumor-to-background ratio, which allows the detection and characterization of cancer. [18F]-FDG imaging is not completely specific to malignant tumors: inflammation, tuberculosis and certain non-malignant tumors also have increased uptake.
An approach to develop more functionally targeted molecular imaging PET agents like GE Healthcare's PET angiogenesis agent that binds to the process of angiogenesis in the body could help physicians identify the location and growth patterns of tumors. Imaging the angiogenic process at the molecular level could also enable researchers and clinicians to monitor the effectiveness of anti-angiogenic drugs and patient response to cancer therapy.
