Targeted Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer
Men with metastatic prostate cancer have long faced limited treatment options. A drug developed in Heidelberg is now improving treatment outcomes worldwide.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Germany, with approximately 70,000 new diagnoses reported annually. Treatment becomes particularly challenging once metastases have formed and conventional therapies are no longer effective.
Researchers at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), together with Heidelberg University Hospital and Heidelberg University, have developed a novel approach to targeted radionuclide therapy. The drug lutetium-177-PSMA-617—marketed under the trade name Pluvicto—specifically binds to the surface protein PSMA on prostate cancer cells. The attached radioactive isotope lutetium-177 emits radiation over a range of only a few millimeters, thereby selectively destroying tumor cells.
Clinical trials demonstrated substantial clinical benefits: In the international Phase III VISION trial, the therapy significantly prolonged overall survival and reduced the risk of disease progression or death compared with the previous standard of care. The drug received regulatory approval in the United States and Europe in 2022. Today, Pluvicto provides a new treatment option for patients with advanced prostate cancer.
Image: Olena Yakobchuk/Shutterstock
