# Lutetium-177 radioligand therapy

Source: https://nuclide.cc/technologies/lu177-radioligand-therapy/  
Nuclide record `lu177-radioligand-therapy` (Technology). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from Nuclide (nuclide.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

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.

## Fields

- Kind: Technology
- Status: approved
- Last checked: 2026-09-04
- Also known as: 177Lu; Lu-177; Lutetium-177
- 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.
- Since: 2018
- 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

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutetium-177
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutetium-177

## Connected records

- isotopes: [Lutetium-177](https://nuclide.cc/isotopes/lu-177/)
- indications: [Neuroendocrine tumours](https://nuclide.cc/indications/neuroendocrine/), [Prostate cancer](https://nuclide.cc/indications/prostate/)
- technologies: [Radioligand dosimetry](https://nuclide.cc/technologies/radioligand-dosimetry/), [Radioligand therapy (beta emitters)](https://nuclide.cc/technologies/radioligand-therapy/), [SPECT dosimetry workflow for radionuclide therapy](https://nuclide.cc/technologies/spect-dosimetry-workflow/), [Therapeutic isotope supply chain (Mo-99, Lu-177, Ac-225)](https://nuclide.cc/technologies/therapy-isotope-supply-chain/)
- targets: [PSMA](https://nuclide.cc/targets/psma/), [Somatostatin receptor 2](https://nuclide.cc/targets/sstr2/)
- drugs: [Lutetium-177 dotatate](https://nuclide.cc/drugs/lutathera/), [Lutetium-177 vipivotide tetraxetan](https://nuclide.cc/drugs/pluvicto/)
- trials: [A Dose Escalation and Expansion Study of [177Lu]Lu-SN201 in Participants With Advanced Cancer](https://nuclide.cc/trials/nct06184035/), [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](https://nuclide.cc/trials/nct05547061/)
- institutions: [Curanosticum Wiesbaden-Frankfurt](https://nuclide.cc/institutions/curanosticum/)
- people: [Michael Lassmann](https://nuclide.cc/people/michael-lassmann/), [Richard P. Baum](https://nuclide.cc/people/richard-baum/), [Wolfgang P. Fendler](https://nuclide.cc/people/wolfgang-fendler/)
- bottlenecks: [Clinical trial capacity for radioligand therapy](https://nuclide.cc/bottlenecks/b-rlt-trial-capacity/), [Enriched target material for therapeutic isotopes](https://nuclide.cc/bottlenecks/b-enriched-target-material/), [Hot lab and shielded treatment room capacity](https://nuclide.cc/bottlenecks/b-hot-lab-capacity/), [Radioactive waste handling and disposal regulation](https://nuclide.cc/bottlenecks/b-radioactive-waste-regulation/)
- fronts: [Radioligand therapy](https://nuclide.cc/fronts/f-radioligand-therapy/)
- ideas: [Terbium-161 instead of lutetium-177 in the same ligands](https://nuclide.cc/ideas/idea-tb161-instead-of-lu177/)
- key papers: [EANM dosimetry committee recommendations for dosimetry of 177Lu-labelled somatostatin-receptor- and PSMA-targeting ligands](https://nuclide.cc/key-papers/paper-eanm-lu177-dosimetry-recommendations-ejnmmi-2022/), [LuPSMA trial: single-arm phase 2 study of 177Lu-PSMA-617 in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer](https://nuclide.cc/key-papers/paper-hofman-lupsma-lancet-oncol-2018/), [TheraP: [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 versus cabazitaxel in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer](https://nuclide.cc/key-papers/paper-therap-lancet-2021/)
- roadmaps: [PSMA theranostics roadmap: antigen discovery → PSMA PET → 177Lu-PSMA-617 → earlier lines and alpha](https://nuclide.cc/roadmaps/psma-theranostics-roadmap/)
- terms: [Activity prescription: fixed versus dosimetry-guided dosing](https://nuclide.cc/terms/activity-prescription/), [Becquerel and curie (units of radioactivity)](https://nuclide.cc/terms/becquerel-curie/), [MIRD formalism](https://nuclide.cc/terms/mird-formalism/), [Radiolysis (self-radiolysis of radiopharmaceuticals)](https://nuclide.cc/terms/radiolysis/)

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