Automated radiolabeling and handling of 177 Lu- and 225 Ac-PSMA-617 using a robotic pipettor.

While automated modules for F-18 and C-11 radiosyntheses are standardized with features such as multiple reactors, vacuum connection and semi-preparative HPLC, labeling and processing of compounds with radiometals such as Zr-89, Lu-177 and Ac-225 often do not require complex manipulations and are frequently performed manually by a radiochemist. These procedures typically involve transferring solutions to and from vials using pipettes followed by heating of the reaction mixture, and do not require all the features found in most commercial automated synthesis units marketed as F-18 or C-11 modules. Here we present an efficient automated method for performing radiosyntheses involving radiometals by adapting a commercially available robotic pipettor originally developed for high-throughput processing of biological samples. While a robotic pipettor is less costly than a radiosynthesis module, it holds many similar advantages over manual radiosynthesis such as minimization of operator error, lower operator exposure rates, and abbreviated synthesis times, among others. To demonstrate the feasibility of using the OpenTrons OT-2 robotic pipettor to perform automated radiosyntheses, we radiolabeled and formulated 177 Lu-PSMA-617 and 225 Ac-PSMA-617 on the system. The OT-2 was then used to help streamline the quality control process for both products, further minimizing manual handling by and exposure to the radiochemist.

Development of "[11C]kits" for a fast, efficient and reliable production of carbon-11 labeled radiopharmaceuticals for Positron Emission Tomography.

Translation of carbon-11 labeled PET tracers to clinical settings is currently impeded by the technical difficulties associated with [11C]CO2 conversion into the highly reactive methylating agents [11C]CH3I and [11C]CH3OTf using automated modules relying on stationary valves. Here we describe development of the first in its kind "[11C]kit" for production of carbon-11 radiotracer using disposable manifolds. This method proved to be very reliable and allows for consecutive production of PET tracers with minimal intervals between the syntheses.