GYEONGGI-DO

CHA Bundang Medical Center Introduces Korea’s First Targeted

Radio Ligand Therapy ‘Pluvicto’

-Excellent Efficacy in Treating Patients with Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer,

the Most Severe Stage of Prostate Cancer-

CHA Bundang Medical Center (from left, clockwise) Professor Kim Tae-heon from Urology, Professors Jang Soo-jin and

Bang Ji-in from Nuclear Medicine, Professor Moon Yong-hwa from Hematology-Oncology, and Professor Kim Kyung-ah from

Radiology are discussing the treatment of the prostate cancer targeted radio ligand therapy Pluvicto.

CHA Bundang Medical Center (President & CEO Yoon Sang-wook) has introduced the first targeted radio ligand therapy for prostate cancer in Korea, Pluvicto ‘Lutetium (177Lu) vipivotide tetraxetan,’ and has begun full-scale treatment.

In 2022, ‘Pluvicto,’ which received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is a radio ligand therapy created by the combination of the cytotoxic radioactive isotope Lutetium (177Lu) and the targeted ligand PSMA-617.

It is regarded as a next-generation innovative treatment method that effectively destroys cancer cells by delivering therapeutic radiation to cancer cells through its binding with ‘Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA),’ which is highly expressed on the surface of prostate cancer cells.

‘Pluvicto’ is applicable to patients with PSMA-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have previously undergone androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI) therapy and taxane-based chemotherapy. Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer refers to the most severe stage of prostate cancer, where the cancer has spread beyond the prostate to surrounding organs, lymph nodes, bones, lungs, etc., and the cancer cells are not suppressed even after lowering male hormone levels.

The ‘Pluvicto’ treatment is conducted under the guidance of healthcare professionals from the Department of Hematology-Oncology and Urology, who confirm the suitability for treatment through medical consultations, and treatment is carried out according to the reservation procedures for radioactive pharmaceuticals. On the day of treatment, Pluvicto is administered intravenously by the Department of Nuclear Medicine without special pre-treatment, and since isolation is not required, patients can return home on the same day.

It is essential to confirm that adequate organ and bone marrow function is maintained through blood tests before and during Pluvicto administration. The treatment with Pluvicto has been shown to extend the survival period by doubling compared to standard treatment alone in patients with PSMA-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. In a clinical study involving 831 patients with PSMA-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, the Pluvicto and standard treatment combination therapy group had a radiologically confirmed progression-free survival of 8.7 months, longer than the 3.4 months of the standard treatment alone group.

The combination therapy of ‘Pluvicto’ and standard treatment reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 60%. In terms of overall survival, the combination therapy group had a survival time of 15.3 months, significantly reducing the risk of death by 38% compared to 11.3 months in the standard treatment alone group.

Professor Moon Yong-hwa from the Department of Hematology-Oncology stated, “The introduction of this treatment is expected to provide new hope for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have no alternative treatment options.”

Website: http://bundang.chamc.co.kr/en/default.aspx