Scientists at Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) have developed and patented Russia’s first theranostic pair—original radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis and therapy of prostate cancer. The TPU press service reported that the initial phase of pilot clinical trials was successful.
Supported by the federal program «Priority 2030» from the Ministry of Education and Science, the Tomsk scientists are pioneering Russian theranostics, an innovative approach that merges diagnosis and therapy in cancer treatment. Currently, there are only two theranostic molecules globally for diagnosing and treating neuroendocrine tumors and prostate cancer, both developed by foreign companies; this marks the first such project in Russia.
Roman Zelchan, the project leader and senior researcher at the Oncoteranostics Research Center at TPU’s Research School of Chemical and Biomedical Technologies, stated, «We can safely say that Tomsk Polytechnic University has developed the first domestic theranostic pair». Zelchan is also the leading research associate at the Department of Radionuclide Therapy and Diagnostics at the Tomsk Research Institute of Oncology (part of Tomsk Medical Research Center).
The original radiopharmaceuticals are based on the BQ—PSMA compound, enabling the synthesis of both diagnostic and therapeutic agents. When a diagnostic radioactive isotope, technetium-99m, is attached, it acts as a «signal beacon» to locate tumor cells. Adding the therapeutic isotope lutetium-177 enhances the compound’s efficacy against tumor cells.
One notable advantage of this drug is its low cost compared to existing alternatives, coupled with a simpler synthesis and preparation process. The technetium isotope is produced at TPU using proprietary technology at a research nuclear reactor. The radiopharmaceutical successfully completed the first phase of pilot clinical trials at the Tomsk Scientific Research Institute of Oncology in 2023.
Zelchan highlighted the ambitious goal of conducting direct clinical trials to assess the effectiveness of their radiopharmaceuticals compared to foreign counterparts.
Moreover, in late 2024, the Russian Federal Medical and Biological Agency (FMBA) registered a new radiopharmaceutical, Rakurs (223Ra), for prostate cancer treatment. The registration certificate for this import-substituting drug developed on the basis of domestically produced materials was received by the Federal Medical and Biological Agency (FMBA).
