The medical imaging agent gozetotide has been approved for the diagnosis of prostate cancer

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has authorized the use of gozetotide (marketed under the name Illuccix) in a positioning emission tomography (PET) scan, a form of medical imaging technology intended to identify particular cancer cell types in adults with prostate cancer.

When gozetotide attaches itself to cancer cells that have prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) on their surface, the cancer cells become visible on a PET scan. This medication’s pharmaceutical form is given as a single injectable solution.

This helps medical practitioners make informed treatment decisions by providing them with important disease-related information.

The Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) summarizes a number of pivotal and supportive studies from the literature that demonstrated efficacy and safety in the suggested indication.

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. Some of the potential side effects include a temporarily increased blood level of a digestive enzyme (amylase), constipation, feeling weak, and warmth where the injection site is given. For the full list of all side effects reported with this medicine, see Section 4 of the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) or the SmPC available on the MHRA website.

Anyone who suspects they are having a side effect from this medicine are encouraged to talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse and report it directly to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme, either through the website (https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/) or by searching the Google Play or Apple App stores for MHRA Yellow Card.

Learn more: Medical imaging agent gozetotide approved for diagnosis of prostate cancer – GOV.UK