The University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy is installing a new cyclotron that will allow the institution to produce radiopharmaceuticals on site, expanding access to advanced imaging agents and targeted cancer therapies in the state.

The $16 million GE HealthCare PETtrace 890 cyclotron was acquired through a collaboration with GE HealthCare and Cyclomedical International. Once operational, the system will support the production of radiopharmaceuticals used in PET imaging, as well as emerging therapeutic agents that deliver radiation directly to tumors.

Melissa Medina, dean of the OU College of Pharmacy, said the technology will allow the Oklahoma City-based academic health center to produce imaging agents that have not previously been available locally.
“Many of these radiopharmaceuticals simply haven’t been available in Oklahoma before,” Medina said. “Now we can produce them here, which opens the door to better imaging, faster decisions and more personalized treatments for Oklahomans.”

Cyclotrons accelerate charged particles in a circular path and direct them at target materials to generate short-lived radioactive isotopes. These isotopes are incorporated into PET tracers, which travel through the body and enable clinicians to evaluate biological processes in tissues and organs.

According to Medina, PET imaging can help physicians assess whether a treatment is working and adjust care sooner if necessary.

“PET imaging allows clinicians to evaluate biological activity throughout the entire body with a single injection,” she said. “If a therapy isn’t effective, doctors can change course sooner. That saves time, money and, most importantly, lives.”

The new system is also expected to support the development and use of therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. Because many of these drugs have short half-lives, they must be produced close to where they are administered. Until now, oncologists at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center have relied on longer-lived agents shipped from outside the state or referred patients elsewhere for certain treatments.

Robert Mannel, director of the Stephenson Cancer Center and a professor in the OU College of Medicine, said the addition will broaden clinical and research capabilities.

“The presence of a cyclotron is transformational for our campus,” Mannel said. “Many emerging diagnostic and treatment agents require close proximity to a cyclotron. This opens up options for Oklahoma patients that simply were not possible before.”

The cyclotron is also expected to support clinical trials that depend on locally produced investigational imaging agents and therapies.

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