Fluorine-18 radiopharmaceuticals beyond [18F]FDG for use in oncology and neurosciences

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) convened a consultants' group meeting to review the current status of 18F-based radiotracers and to suggest means for accelerating their use for diagnostic applications. The consultants reviewed the developments including the synthetic approaches for the preparation of 18F-tracers for oncology and neurosciences. A selection of three groups of 18F-tracers that are useful either in oncology or in neurosciences was done based on well-defined criteria such as application, lack of toxicity, availability of precursors and ease of synthesis. Based on the recommendations of the consultants' group meeting, IAEA started a coordinated research project on “Development of 18F radiopharmaceuticals (beyond [18F]FDG) for use in oncology and neurosciences” in which 14 countries are participating in a 3-year collaborative program. The outcomes of the coordinated research project are expected to catalyze the wider application of several more 18F-radiopharmaceuticals beyond FDG for diagnostic applications in oncology and neurosciences.