# Gallium-68 DOTATATE (and Cu-64 DOTATATE)

Source: https://nuclide.cc/drugs/ga68-dotatate/  
Nuclide record `ga68-dotatate` (Agent). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from Nuclide (nuclide.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

The PET scan for neuroendocrine tumours that finds far more disease than older scans and confirms eligibility for lutetium radioligand therapy (the theranostic pair).

## Summary

Ga-68 DOTATATE (Netspot, kit) approved June 2016; Cu-64 DOTATATE (Detectnet, 12.7-hour half-life allows central production) approved September 2020; Ga-68 DOTATOC (2019, academic). Changes management in about a third of patients; required before Lu-177 DOTATATE (Lutathera). Also images meningioma and paraganglioma.

## Fields

- Kind: Agent
- Status: approved
- Last checked: 2026-09-08
- Tags: gap-fill; diagnostic
- Brand: Netspot / Detectnet
- Modality: PET radiotracer (somatostatin receptor ligand)
- Mechanism: Radiolabelled somatostatin analogue binding SSTR2 on neuroendocrine tumours; PET replaces the older In-111 octreotide SPECT with higher sensitivity and same-day imaging.
- Approvals: US 2016: PET localisation of SSTR-positive neuroendocrine tumours (Ga-68 DOTATATE); US 2020: Same (Cu-64 DOTATATE); EU 2017: SomaKit TOC (Ga-68 DOTATOC)

## Sources

- Label: Netspot (DailyMed): https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/search.cfm?labeltype=all&query=Netspot
- Label: Detectnet (DailyMed): https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/search.cfm?labeltype=all&query=Detectnet

## Connected records

- isotopes: [Copper-64](https://nuclide.cc/isotopes/cu-64/), [Gallium-68](https://nuclide.cc/isotopes/ga-68/), [Germanium-68](https://nuclide.cc/isotopes/ge-68/), [Indium-111](https://nuclide.cc/isotopes/in-111/), [Lutetium-177](https://nuclide.cc/isotopes/lu-177/)
- indications: [Lung neuroendocrine tumours (typical and atypical carcinoid)](https://nuclide.cc/indications/lung-net/), [Neuroendocrine tumours](https://nuclide.cc/indications/neuroendocrine/), [Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours](https://nuclide.cc/indications/pancreatic-net/), [Small intestinal neuroendocrine tumours](https://nuclide.cc/indications/small-intestinal-net/)
- technologies: [Cyclotron isotope production (F-18, Ga-68, Cu-64, Zr-89, At-211)](https://nuclide.cc/technologies/cyclotron-isotope-production/), [Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT)](https://nuclide.cc/technologies/prrt/), [PET/CT](https://nuclide.cc/technologies/pet-ct/), [Radioligand therapy (beta emitters)](https://nuclide.cc/technologies/radioligand-therapy/), [Radiopharmaceutical GMP and releasing a drug that decays](https://nuclide.cc/technologies/radiopharmaceutical-gmp-release/), [Somatostatin receptor PET (68Ga/64Cu-DOTATATE)](https://nuclide.cc/technologies/sstr-pet/)
- targets: [Somatostatin receptor 2](https://nuclide.cc/targets/sstr2/)
- companies: [Advanced Accelerator Applications (Novartis)](https://nuclide.cc/companies/advanced-accelerator-applications/), [Curium](https://nuclide.cc/companies/curium/), [Novartis](https://nuclide.cc/companies/novartis/)
- terms: [Krenning score](https://nuclide.cc/terms/krenning-score/), [PRRT (peptide receptor radionuclide therapy)](https://nuclide.cc/terms/prrt-term/), [Theranostic pair](https://nuclide.cc/terms/theranostic-pair-term/), [Theranostics](https://nuclide.cc/terms/theranostics/)
- opportunities: [An inflammation tracer that does not need a diet](https://nuclide.cc/opportunities/opp-cardiac-sarcoidosis-specific-tracer/)
- drugs: [Copper-64 dotatate](https://nuclide.cc/drugs/cu-64-dotatate/), [Gallium-68 edotreotide (DOTATOC)](https://nuclide.cc/drugs/ga-68-dotatoc/), [Indium-111 pentetreotide](https://nuclide.cc/drugs/in-111-pentetreotide/)
- bottlenecks: [Site readiness and referral pathway delays](https://nuclide.cc/bottlenecks/b-site-readiness-referral/)
- fronts: [Molecular imaging](https://nuclide.cc/fronts/f-molecular-imaging/)
- pairings: [68Ga-DOTATATE PET before Lutathera (177Lu-DOTATATE)](https://nuclide.cc/pairings/ga68-dotatate-then-lutathera/)
- roadmaps: [Neuro-oncology imaging roadmap: FDG PET → amino acid PET → SSTR2 theranostics in meningioma](https://nuclide.cc/roadmaps/neuro-imaging-roadmap/), [SSTR theranostics roadmap: octreotide scintigraphy → 68Ga-DOTATATE → 177Lu-DOTATATE → alpha](https://nuclide.cc/roadmaps/sstr-theranostics-roadmap/)

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