India's first precision radiotherapy for prostate cancer is here: How it's different from other treatments

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in Indian men, and its rate is steadily increasing in Kerala as well. At the time, Swiss-based Novartis Pharmaceuticals' Indian arm announced the launch of a new precision radiotherapy for prostate cancer. The drug, named Pluvicto, is India's first regulatory authority-approved radioligand therapy for those with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)- positive prostate cancer.  Prostate cancer places a significant physical and emotional burden on patients and families across India. According to reports, unlike age-old chemotherapy or radiation treatment, the new drug can be administered via IV infusion. Here's everything you need to know about the drug.  

How the drug is different
Pluvicto is designed to precisely target prostate cancer cells. Compared with traditional treatments, it minimises exposure to healthy tissues as well. Meanwhile, 'radioligand' therapy is a new type of treatment that combines radioactive substances and a targeting molecule. Pluvicto is already approved in the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union. 

Where will it be available?
Novartis India said that Pluvicto will be made available through select hospitals and nuclear medicine centres across India as part of the company's partnership-led approach to bringing radioligand therapies to the country. It will be imported from certified producers in Italy and Spain. The company is also planning to team up with oncologists, nuclear medicine specialists and hospital partners for treatments.
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(With PTI inputs)