Perspective Therapeutics announces first human SPECT imaging of Pb-212

Perspective Therapeutics announced the publication of the first human SPECT images utilizing the alpha-emitting isotope of 212Pb, which was labeled to the Company’s proprietary theranostic VMT-alpha-NET product. The imaging was conducted as part of a series of four neuroendocrine tumor patients who were administered VMT-alpha-NET at a clinical study site in Germany. The Company is developing VMT-alpha-NET for the treatment and diagnosis of somatostatin receptor subtype 2-expressing neuroendocrine tumors. VMT-alpha-NET is being administered under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Jorg Kotzerke, Director of the Department of Nuclear Medicine at the Technical University of Dresden in Germany. The patient received 90 MBq of VMT-alpha-NET intravenously, and whole-body scintigraphy and SPECT/CT images were acquired 2 hours, 5 hours, and 19 hours after injection. Images were collected on a Symbia Intevo T6 using a high-energy collimator. The SPECT/CT images showed high accumulation of VMT-alpha-NET in liver metastases and were consistent with the previously acquired DOTATATE PET/CT. High tumor retention can be observed in the planar and SPECT/CT images over time. As expected, due to the short half-life of 212Pb, the images acquired after 19 hours showed a high level of noise due to the low count statistics. The patient showed no early or acute side effects. Under certain expanded access circumstances, VMT-alpha-NET may be made available to qualified doctors in some countries. Perspective Therapeutics supplies a generator, drug precursors and isotopes for the local production of its proprietary radiotherapeutic, VMT-alpha-NET. Dr. Kotzerke and his team will continue to monitor patients’ progress over the coming months. The publication is entitled “First-in-human SPECT/CT imaging of Pb-VMT-alpha-NET in a patient with metastatic neuroendocrine tumor”. It follows a similar publication in Clinical Nuclear Medicine from earlier this year showing successful SPECT imaging of Perspective’s surrogate diagnostic isotope 203Pb which was also linked to VMT-alpha-NET. Recruitment is ongoing for the use of VMT-alpha-NET in imaging and therapeutic trials at leading U.S. institutions. VMT-alpha-NET is categorized as an investigational new drug by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The use of VMT-alpha-NET in qualifying expanded access situations is entirely separate from and outside the scope of the Company’s Phase 1 trial.