Lok Sabha Question No. 3704 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-12
Subject: Supply of Lutetium-177
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3704

TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.08.2015

## SUPPLY OF LUTETIUM-177

## 3704.   KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH: SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether Radio Pharmaceutical Division of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has supplied Lutetium - 177 DOTATATE medicine for neuroendocrine tumors cancer patients in All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital;
- (b) if  so, the effect of the above medicine to neuroendocrine tumor patients particularly with regard to pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors with liver" metastic;
- (c) the procedure/cycle followed in this treatment;
- (d) whether  the  said  medicine  has  timely  been  supplied  by  the  BARC  to  AIIMS  in accordance with the cycle of medicine prescribed to the patients;
- (e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (f) the  steps  taken/being taken by  the Government for timely and adequate supply of this medicine to AIIMS and other central hospitals so that the patients are not put to any hardship?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (Dr. JITENDRA SINGH) :

- (a) Bhabha  Atomic  Research  Centre  (BARC)  through  Board  of  Radiation  &  Isotope Technology (BRIT) supplies pharmaceuticals grade Lutetium-177  CHLORIDE ( 177 LuCl3) to AIIMS which is used for the preparation of Lutetium - 177 DOTATATE. Preparation of Lutetium -177  DOTATATE  is  being  carried  out  by  Hospital Radiopharmacy of AIIMS.
- (b) Lutetium-177 DOTATATE is reported to be effective in the treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors with liver metastasis.
- (c) The  exact procedure/cycle followed in this treatment is specific to patient's condition  and  is  decided  by  the  Nuclear  Medicine  Physician  depending  upon  the extent of metastasis, age, body weight and patient medical conditions.
- (d)&(e)  The production schedule of this radiopharmaceutical ingredient is normally decided based on the requirement of the hospitals. As per the production  schedule, AIIMS  is  regularly  procuring  this  radiopharmaceutical  ingredient  through  Board  of

Radiation  and  Isotope  technology  (BRIT).  In  the  year  2015,  AIMS  has  asked pharmaceutical grade 177 LuCl3  on  13 occasions as per the following details.

## Details of 177 Lu activity supplied by IP&AD  to AIIMS, New Delhi in the year 2015.

| Date       |   Activity (mCi) |
|------------|------------------|
| 05-01-2015 |             2000 |
| 19-01-2015 |             1300 |
| 23-02-2015 |             1650 |
| 10-03-2015 |             1350 |
| 30-03-2015 |             1400 |
| 07-04-2015 |             1134 |
| 27-04-2015 |             1350 |
| 05-05-2015 |             1900 |
| 25-05-2015 |             1200 |
| 01-06-2015 |             1300 |
| 29-06-2015 |             1500 |
| 06-07-2015 |             1500 |
| 27-07-2015 |             1450 |

- (f) The Dhruva reactor in BARC is geared up to meet the increased production of Lu177 required for the preparation of the radiopharmaceutical to meet the growing demand of AIIMS  as well as other nuclear medicine centres of India.

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