Life Science BusinessResearch and Development of Prostate Cancer Imaging Agent "68Ga-PSMA"
Joint R&D with Hokkaido University of Prostate Cancer Imaging Agent "68Ga-PSMA"
The proportion of prostate cancer incidence in older men is very high, and it has the biggest number of patients among Japanese men. The conventional method of diagnosis is a biopsy, which requires a needle to be inserted directly into the affected area, and a biological sample is taken. This method heavily imposes physical burden to the patients and takes time.
In order to reduce these burdens to patients, ATOX and Hokkaido University concluded a joint research agreement on 31st October, 2018 and we have been developing 68Ga-PSMA which is used for PET imaging.
High expectations are placed on 68Ga-PSMA which helps the diagnosis of prostate cancer with great accuracy, and biopsy will not be needed for patients once 68Ga-PSMA can be used for PET imaging.
In the joint research with Hokkaido University, ATOX engages in the quality verification of Ga-68 elution which is produced by 68Ge/68Ga generator and used for 68Ga-PSMA.
※ 68Ge/68Ga generator
A compact device by which you can easily produce radioactive Gallium (68Ga) elution. The 68Ga is used for manufacturing a diagnostic agent for PET imaging.
As 68Ga used to be only manufactured by a large system such as cyclotron, there were a lot of requests for a compact generator, which was already a mainstream technology in Europe and North America, from nuclear medicine research institutes.
In order to swiftly meet this demand, ATOX and IRE ELiT, a Belgian company, entered into a Exclusive Distribution Agreement for 68Ge/68Ga generator "Galli Eo®" in 2018.
68Ge/68Ga generator "Galli Eo®" is a compact device capable of milking (eluting) 68Ga, a daughter nuclide, from 68Ge, a parent nuclide of 68Ga. A positron emitting nuclide 68Ga is combined with an agent, which accumulates in a targeted molecule such as a tumour, and used for PET (Positron Emission Tomography) imaging.
