🔬 Sc-44: A New Balance in PET Imaging

2026-04-20

In PET imaging, different radionuclides come with different trade-offs.

Short-lived isotopes such as ⁶⁸Ga offer convenience,

while ¹⁸F enables large-scale clinical use.

👉 But what if there is a balance in between?

Scandium-44 (Sc-44) is emerging as a promising option.

With a half-life of around 4 hours, it offers:

• More flexibility than short-lived isotopes

• Longer imaging windows for better tracer distribution

• Potential for improved imaging consistency

👉 A balance between practicality and performance.

💡 Beyond imaging, Sc-44 is part of a theranostic pair with Sc-47, opening new possibilities for connecting diagnosis and therapy.

From a production perspective, Sc-44 also reflects a broader trend:

👉 moving toward cyclotron-based radionuclide production to support more flexible and scalable workflows.

🚀 We’re pleased to share that LBT will be presenting an abstract about automated production of 44Sc using a natural CaO target at SNMMI 2026.

More details coming soon.