Radiopharmaceutical developer Navidea Biopharmaceuticals said that a new research study will assess the potential utility of its gallium-68 (Ga-68) tilmanocept radiopharmaceutical for evaluating patients with tuberculosis (TB).
The study, which will compare Ga-68 tilmanocept findings with FDG-PET/CT, will evaluate Ga-68 tilmanocept as a probe to locate macrophage mannose receptor CD206 within TB granulomas. The company believes that its method offers promise for helping to understand the behavior of TB granulomas and could also, in the future, potentially serve as a vehicle for delivering therapeutic interventions.
Navidea said that the study will be led by principal investigator Dr. Mike Sathekge, PhD, head of the nuclear medicine department at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital and University of Pretoria in South Africa.
