99mTc-Glucoheptonate (GHA)
April 6, 2024
99mTc-Glucoheptonate is a radiopharmaceutical compound commonly used as a tracer for imaging studies, particularly in brain and kidney imaging. It consists of the radioisotope technetium-99m (99mTc) bound to the chelating agent glucoheptonate.
In brain imaging, 99mTc-Glucoheptonate is used to assess cerebral blood flow and detect abnormalities such as tumors, abscesses, and areas of ischemia. It is particularly valuable in evaluating patients with neurological conditions such as strokes and seizures.
For kidney imaging, 99mTc-Glucoheptonate is utilized to evaluate renal function, detect abnormalities in the kidneys, and assess the presence of urinary tract obstructions. It is commonly employed in dynamic renal scintigraphy to monitor the filtration and excretion processes in the kidneys.
Overall, 99mTc-GHA is a versatile radiotracer that provides valuable diagnostic information in various clinical settings, making it an essential tool in nuclear medicine for imaging the brain and kidneys.
Description
99mTc-Glucoheptonate (99mTc-GHA, 99mTc-gluceptate, Tc-Glucoscan, 99mTc-TCK-11) is a generic tracer useful for brain and kidney imaging.
Clinical applications
99mTc-Glucoheptonate is used in conventional brain imaging. The agent may also have better uptake in tumors which may be due to the fact that it is a glucose analog and serves as a substrate for tumor metabolism, although 201Tl-Thallium Chloride is the best predictor of tumor burden. The typical dose in adults is 15 mCi.
Availability
99mTc-Glucoheptonate was available under the name Gluceptate (Draximage), Glucoscan (Lantheus, approved in 1978, no longer used for renal imaging, discontinued due to problems of formulation stability in 2007) and got an FDA approval in 1982 under the name Technescan Gluceptate (Draximage). The Draximage product was discontinued in 2008 in the US. Technescan Gluceptate (Mallinckrodt) was withdrawn from the US market in 2009.
The tracer is still available from Wuxi Jiangyuan and BRIT (TCK-15).
Competition
Competition exists with more common tracers such as Neurolite, but this tracer is not that well used anyway.
Comments
Only very rare companies are now proposing this tracer which will probably disappear from the nuclear medicine landscape and be replaced by more convenient and available tracers, except in developing countries (e.g., India) in which cheap tracers continue to be given priority.