Reliable access and availability of Ga-68 radiopharmaceuticals
Key thought leaders share their perspectives. This article has been reproduced with permission from Cardinal Health.
There when you need it: we asked five leaders across the nuclear medicine industry to share their specific experiences with one of the four key advantages of Gallium-68* (Ga-68) PET imaging: availability and reliable access on demand.
Industry experts
Jeremie Calais, MD, PhD
Nuclear Medicine Physician, Los Angeles
Heather Kaplan, MHA, CNMT, ARRT (N)
Nuclear Medicine Technologist, Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Amir Lavaf, MD, DABR
Radiation Oncologist, Desert Regional Medical Center
Jaideep Sohi, MD
Nuclear Medicine Physician, American Molecular Imaging
Jeffrey Spier, MD
Urologist, Rio Grande Urology
All five experts have had a positive experience due to:
Reliability of local production on a generator
Providers can obtain Ga-68 via compact and readily available generators, which makes the isotope locally accessible at hundreds of nuclear pharmacies across the country. As a result, providers can rely on dependable and convenient access when scheduling patients.
Receiving doses where and when needed
“The ease of scheduling is real: we can schedule our patients with the confidence that the product will be on-site on time,” Dr. Spier said. The key is having Ga-68 available locally instead of being shipped by air or ground from a major metropolitan area.
About half of Rio Grande Urology’s patients drive an hour or more to their facility, so reliability is very important. “It can be devastating if a patient drove 150 miles and the procedure had been cancelled because the radioisotope wasn’t available,” he added. “You would create a lot of discontent from the patient, who may never want to come back.”
Overcoming cyclotron constraints
Dr. Sohi noted that cyclotron-based products have the potential to create scheduling challenges, such as needing to order well in advance of the scan. But with Ga-68-based products produced on a local generator, American Molecular Imaging can order and often receive a dose within the same day.
“The local availability of Ga-68 enables us to fill gaps in our schedule, such as those caused by cancellations or patient add-ons,” he said. “It’s also more convenient for patients who need to schedule their scan at a particular time — such as in the morning or over the weekend — due to such things as work commitments or a lack of transport.”
Dr. Lavaf noted a similar experience at Desert Regional Medical Center. “Ga-68 is much easier to access than isotopes produced on a cyclotron alone, so we can more easily schedule patients any time,” he said. They are now able to open more time slots and start scanning patients in the morning as well as the afternoon.
Maximizing the use of PET/CT cameras
Sarasota Memorial Hospital has two PET/CT cameras that operate Monday through Friday. When it comes to scheduling Ga-68 scans, any challenges are caused more by the availability of the scanner than the isotope.
“We have not experienced any restrictions on when we can order Ga-68; we can typically get it when we need it, any time of day,” Kaplan said. “There has never been a shortage or challenge getting a dose when needed — unlike our past experience with other radioisotopes. The reliability is key.”
Robust access to Ga-68 supports the hospital’s operational goals as well. “At the end of the day, hospitals need to maximize the use of our cameras. The availability of Ga-68 helps ensure we can fill those time slots.”
The future is here
All five leaders reported having a positive experience with the availability and reliable access of Ga-68 PET imaging. With several FDA-approved imaging agents already in the market and numerous clinical trials underway investigating its use in the diagnosis of various types of disease, Ga-68 is making an impact. And the opportunity has just begun.
4 key advantages of Ga-68:
and reliable access on demand
in scheduling patients
to meet growing patient demand
Note
The views and opinions expressed in this piece are based on the physicians’ individual clinical experiences. However, results may vary for individual physicians and patients. This material is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical guidance.
*Gallium-68 (Ga-68) is a key radioisotope in nuclear medicine, largely employed in conjunction with specific ligands which target somatostatin receptors (SSTR) as a mechanism to accurately image neuroendocrine tumors (NET) as well as prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) in the imaging, diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer. Today, Ga-68 is the most widely used diagnostic isotope in ongoing theranostic clinical trials (source: clinicaltrials.gov analysis, data on file).
Safety statement: Gallium-68, when paired with a variety of targeting molecules (ligands), is a radioactive agent and should be handled by or under the control of qualified and licensed physicians with appropriate safety measures to help minimize radiation exposure. Any radiation-emitting product may increase the risk for cancer, especially in pediatric patients. Adhere to the respective dose recommendations for specific Ga-68 products and ensure safe handling to minimize the risk for excessive radiation exposure to either patients or healthcare workers.
© 2026 Cardinal Health. All Rights Reserved. Lit. No. 1NPS25-4052108-02 (02/2026)