Procedures for the GMP-Compliant Production and Quality Control of [18F]PSMA-1007: A Next Generation Radiofluorinated Tracer for the Detection of Prostate Cancer

TLDR

Radiolabeled PSMA‑targeting tracers are key PET agents for prostate cancer imaging, and we have developed the fluorine‑18 labeled ligand [18F]PSMA‑1007 as the next‑generation radiofluorinated Glu‑ureido PSMA inhibitor following [18F]DCFPyL and [18F]DCFBC. The study aimed to create novel automated radiosynthesis procedures for [18F]PSMA‑1007 to overcome previously poor yields. We described both a two‑step and a new one‑step synthesis, each performed on commonly used radiosynthesizers. The one‑step method yielded 25–80 % radiochemical yield in under 55 min, enabled scaling to 50 GBq per batch, met European Pharmacopoeia QC, and proved as straightforward as [18F]FDG synthesis, allowing in‑house production to support routine clinical use even in large hospitals.

Abstract

Radiolabeled tracers targeting the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) have become important radiopharmaceuticals for the PET-imaging of prostate cancer. In this connection, we recently developed the fluorine-18-labelled PSMA-ligand [18F]PSMA-1007 as the next generation radiofluorinated Glu-ureido PSMA inhibitor after [18F]DCFPyL and [18F]DCFBC. Since radiosynthesis so far has been suffering from rather poor yields, novel procedures for the automated radiosyntheses of [18F]PSMA-1007 have been developed. We herein report on both the two-step and the novel one-step procedures, which have been performed on different commonly-used radiosynthesisers. Using the novel one-step procedure, the [18F]PSMA-1007 was produced in good radiochemical yields ranging from 25 to 80% and synthesis times of less than 55 min. Furthermore, upscaling to product activities up to 50 GBq per batch was successfully conducted. All batches passed quality control according to European Pharmacopoeia standards. Therefore, we were able to disclose a new, simple and, at the same time, high yielding production pathway for the next generation PSMA radioligand [18F]PSMA-1007. Actually, it turned out that the radiosynthesis is as easily realised as the well-known [18F]FDG synthesis and, thus, transferable to all currently-available radiosynthesisers. Using the new procedures, the clinical daily routine can be sustainably supported in-house even in larger hospitals by a single production batch.