Background: Its unique imaging characteristics and favorable half-life and decay properties make radioisotope copper-64 (Cu-64) most desirable for PET imaging. To meet the increasing demand, an efficient high yielding Cu-64 manufacturing process is essential. To address this unmet need, scientists from Washington University in St. Louis developed an improved manufacturing process.

Technology Description: The team led by Mr. Gaehle improved on established manufacturing processes.

The full implementation of this process will reduce the amount of target material needed to produce Cu-64 in high yields of ≥ 7 .5 Ci; reliably producing ≥ 150m Ci/uA with the specific activity expected to routinely exceed 300mCi/μg.

Key Advantages:

• High yielding (≥7.5Ci) Cu-64 manufacturing
• Reliable production of ≥150mCi/uA with a specific activity of ≥250mCi/mg
• Reduces amount of target material needed
• Optimized isolated Cu-64 chloride purity and Ni-64 recovery

Publications: Not available

Patents: Pending

Lead Inventor: Greg Gaehle, MS; Co-Director PET Nuclear Pharmacy and Cyclotron Facility, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology. The GMP Cyclotron Facility is a renowned resource for longer-lived PET radionuclides (including Cu-64, Zr-89, Y-86, Br-76,77) used in the United States and Canada. Their portfolio contains over 20 human-use radiopharmaceuticals and they actively develop radiopharmaceuticals for human use.