Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital Begins Full-Scale Pluvicto Therapy for Prostate Cancer

Professor Moon Jangbae from the Department of Nuclear Medicine is administering Pluvicto to a prostate cancer patient. Provided by Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital.

Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital announced on December 23 that it will officially begin administering Pluvicto (ingredient: lutetium vipivotide tetraxetan), a nuclear medicine radioligand therapy that is drawing attention as a new paradigm in prostate cancer treatment.

The hospital's Department of Nuclear Medicine recently succeeded in treating a patient with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who had not responded to conventional hormone therapy and chemotherapy, using Pluvicto.

Pluvicto is a radioligand therapy that binds to PSMA (prostate-specific membrane antigen), which is overexpressed on the surface of prostate cancer cells. After binding, the radioactive isotope emits radiation that selectively targets and treats cancer cells. The therapy is administered to patients who have confirmed PSMA expression through a PSMA PET/CT scan prior to treatment.

Since 2023, Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital has been conducting clinical trials on radioligand therapy for prostate cancer and has established clinical experience and safety management systems for PSMA-based radioligand therapy. Based on this experience, the hospital is now administering Pluvicto therapy among non-metropolitan medical institutions.

In Korea, Pluvicto has been available as a non-reimbursed treatment for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer whose disease progressed after conventional hormone therapy and chemotherapy since May of last year.

Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital operates a multidisciplinary care system and conducts precise PET/CT imaging evaluations before and after treatment, leveraging its accumulated clinical expertise in radiopharmaceutical therapy and molecular imaging. Through these efforts, the hospital is able to provide advanced nuclear medicine treatments safely and reliably.

Kang Saeryeong, Head of the Department of Nuclear Medicine, stated, "We have established a foundation that allows local prostate cancer patients to receive world-class advanced treatment without having to travel to the Seoul metropolitan area," adding, "As a regional hub hospital, we will continue to expand access to advanced cancer therapies in the future."