{"entity":{"id":"lu177-radioligand-therapy","kind":"technology","name":"Lutetium-177 radioligand therapy","aka":["177Lu","Lu-177","Lutetium-177"],"tldr":"Cancer-seeking molecules carrying the radioactive metal lutetium-177, which delivers short-range radiation to tumours it binds; approved for neuroendocrine tumours and prostate cancer.","summary":"Lutetium-177 emits beta particles with a range of a few millimetres and gamma rays that allow imaging, making it the workhorse isotope of radioligand therapy. Lutathera (Lu-177 dotatate, approved 2018) targets somatostatin receptors on neuroendocrine tumours, and Pluvicto (Lu-177 PSMA-617, approved 2022) targets PSMA on prostate cancer; both improved outcomes in randomised trials. Supply of no-carrier-added lutetium, dosimetry and combinations with earlier lines of therapy are the current frontiers.","status":"approved","asOf":"2026-09-04","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutetium-177","links":[{"label":"Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutetium-177"}],"tags":[],"related":[],"cancers":["prostate","neuroendocrine"],"sections":["radiopharma"],"technologies":["radioligand-therapy","therapy-isotope-supply-chain"],"targets":["psma","sstr2"],"drugs":["pluvicto","lutathera"],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":["nct06184035","nct05547061"],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":["radioligand-therapy","therapy-isotope-supply-chain"],"notes":[],"principle":"A peptide or small molecule with high affinity for a tumour receptor is chelated to Lu-177 and infused; bound molecules irradiate the cell and its neighbours over the isotope's 6.6-day half-life.","strengths":["Randomised survival benefit in two diseases","Companion PET imaging selects patients","Tolerable toxicity profile"],"limitations":["Isotope supply and logistics","Marrow and kidney dose limits","Resistance and heterogeneous uptake"],"since":2018},"route":"/technologies/lu177-radioligand-therapy/","neighbours":{"cancer":[{"id":"neuroendocrine","kind":"cancer","name":"Neuroendocrine tumours","route":"/cancers/neuroendocrine/"},{"id":"prostate","kind":"cancer","name":"Prostate cancer","route":"/cancers/prostate/"}],"section":[{"id":"radiopharma","kind":"section","name":"Radiopharmaceuticals & Theranostics","route":"/fronts/radiopharma/"}],"technology":[{"id":"radioligand-dosimetry","kind":"technology","name":"Radioligand dosimetry","route":"/technologies/radioligand-dosimetry/"},{"id":"radioligand-therapy","kind":"technology","name":"Radioligand therapy (beta emitters)","route":"/technologies/radioligand-therapy/"},{"id":"therapy-isotope-supply-chain","kind":"technology","name":"Therapeutic isotope supply chain (Mo-99, Lu-177, Ac-225)","route":"/technologies/therapy-isotope-supply-chain/"}],"target":[{"id":"psma","kind":"target","name":"PSMA","route":"/targets/psma/"},{"id":"sstr2","kind":"target","name":"Somatostatin receptor 2","route":"/targets/sstr2/"}],"drug":[{"id":"lutathera","kind":"drug","name":"Lutetium-177 dotatate","route":"/drugs/lutathera/"},{"id":"pluvicto","kind":"drug","name":"Lutetium-177 vipivotide tetraxetan","route":"/drugs/pluvicto/"}],"trial":[{"id":"nct06184035","kind":"trial","name":"A Dose Escalation and Expansion Study of [177Lu]Lu-SN201 in Participants With Advanced Cancer","route":"/trials/nct06184035/"},{"id":"nct05547061","kind":"trial","name":"A Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, Dosimetry, and Anti-tumor Activity of Ga-68-NGUL / Lu-177-DGUL in Patients With Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC) Refractory to Standard Therapy","route":"/trials/nct05547061/"}],"term":[{"id":"prostate-crpc-sequencing","kind":"term","name":"What follows what in castration-resistant prostate cancer","route":"/terms/prostate-crpc-sequencing/"}],"institution":[{"id":"curanosticum","kind":"institution","name":"Curanosticum Wiesbaden-Frankfurt","route":"/institutions/curanosticum/"}],"person":[{"id":"richard-baum","kind":"person","name":"Richard P. Baum","route":"/people/richard-baum/"}]}}