🔬 Advancing Sc-44 Production: LBT Abstract Accepted at SNMMI 2026

2026-06-03

🎉 We are pleased to share that an abstract from the LBT R&D team has been accepted for presentation at SNMMI 2026 and published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine Supplement.

📄Abstract Information

Title: Automated Production of 44Sc Using a Natural CaO Target

Authors: Shuyu Lin, Chao Pan, Jialiang Xiong

Published: Journal of Nuclear Medicine, SNMMI 2026 Supplement

Link: https://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/67/supplement_1/261165

🧪 Scandium-44 (⁴⁴Sc) is attracting increasing attention as a promising PET radionuclide.

Compared with ⁶⁸Ga, Sc-44 offers a shorter positron range, which may contribute to improved image resolution. Its approximately 4-hour half-life also provides greater flexibility for radiopharmaceutical preparation, quality control, and distribution.

These characteristics have made Sc-44 an increasingly interesting option for next-generation PET imaging and theranostic development.

⚙️ However, broader adoption of Sc-44 still faces practical challenges.

Current production routes typically rely on enriched ⁴⁴Ca target materials, which can be costly and may add complexity to target preparation and processing workflows. As a result, developing more economical and scalable production methods remains an active area of research.

🧪 To address this challenge, the LBT R&D team explored an automated production process using natural calcium oxide (CaO) targets combined with a fully integrated solid-target production platform.

The study investigated:

🔹 Natural CaO as an alternative target material

🔹 Automated solid-target irradiation workflow

🔹 Automated target dissolution and purification

🔹 Reproducible multi-batch production performance

📊 Results demonstrated stable Sc-44 production with radionuclidic purity exceeding 96%, while significantly simplifying target preparation and reducing material costs compared with conventional metallic calcium approaches.

🚀 As interest in emerging radionuclides continues to grow, advances in production technologies will play an important role in supporting future clinical and research applications of Sc-44.