Study Shows Promise of Emerging Radiotherapeutic Agent for Treatment of Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors

For patients with grade 1 or grade 2 gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs), new research suggests the radiotherapeutic agent ¹⁷⁷Lu-edotreotide (ITM-11) may enhance targeted treatment with a reduced rate of adverse side effects in comparison to everolimus.

In single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) findings from a phase 3 trial, recently presented at the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) conference, researchers showed a mean cumulative absorbed dose of 110 Gy after one cycle of treatment with ¹⁷⁷Lu-edotreotide in patients with grade 1 or grade 2 somatostatin receptor (SSTR)-positive GEP-NETs. The mean cumulative absorbed dose for ¹⁷⁷Lu-edotreotide (ITM-11) was 0.8 Gy for the whole body, according to the research.

In a recent interview with Diagnostic Imaging, study co-author Emmanuel Deshayes, M.D., Ph.D., offered his insights on the dosimetry data for ¹⁷⁷Lu-edotreotide.

“(¹⁷⁷Lu-edotreotide) was able to achieve a specifically high affinity for somatostatin receptors (SSTR) that are highly expressed and well differentiated in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors,” pointed out Dr. Deshayes, an associate professor of nuclear medicine at the Montpellier Cancer Institute in Montpellier, France.

The researchers also noted that the mean cumulative absorbed dose with ¹⁷⁷Lu-edotreotide in the kidneys and red bone marrow was within established safety thresholds. Additionally, in comparison to everolimus, the study authors noted a 6.5 percent reduction in renal and urinary grade 1 > adverse events with ¹⁷⁷Lu-edotreotide.

“The safety profile of the drug tested, ¹⁷⁷Lu-edotreotide, was very favorable compared to everolimus. … For example, the renal adverse events occur less often in the ¹⁷⁷Lu-edotreotide compared to the everolimus group,” added Dr. Deshayes.

(Editor’s note: For related content, see “Comparative Study Says Enhanced MRI Offers Optimal Detection of Neuroendocrine Tumor Liver Metastases,” “MRI Accurately Stages Cervical Neuroendocrine Carcinoma” and “Can a New MRI-Based Risk Stratification Model Bolster Survival Prediction with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma?”)

For more insights from Dr. Deshayes, watch the video below.