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. 2021 Apr;17(10):1131-1141.
doi: 10.2217/fon-2020-0625. Epub 2021 Jan 28.

High-specific-activity 131iodine-metaiodobenzylguanidine for therapy of unresectable pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma

Joseph S Dillon  1 , David Bushnell  2 , Douglas E Laux  3
Affiliations

High-specific-activity 131iodine-metaiodobenzylguanidine for therapy of unresectable pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma

Joseph S Dillon et al. Future Oncol. 2021 Apr.

Abstract

Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPG) are rare cancers arising from the adrenal medulla (pheochromocytoma) or autonomic ganglia (paraganglioma). They have highly variable biological behavior. Most PPG express high-affinity norepinephrine transporters, allowing active uptake of the norepinephrine analog, 131iodine-metaiodobenzylguanidine (131I-MIBG). Low-specific-activity forms of 131I-MIBG have been used since 1983 for therapy of PPG. High-specific-activity 131I-MIBG therapy improves hypertension management, induces partial radiological response or stable disease, decreases biochemical markers of disease activity and is well tolerated by patients. This drug, approved in the USA in July 2018, is the first approved agent for patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic PPG and imaging evidence of metaiodobenzylguanidine uptake, who require systemic anticancer therapy.

Keywords: MIBG; iobenguane; metaiodobenzylguanidine; norepinephrine transporter; paraganglioma; pheochromocytoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

Financial & competing interest disclosure

J Dillon received clinical research trial support from Progenics, Inc. The manuscript is funded, in whole or in part, from direct costs funded by NIH (CA174521). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

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