BioTech Encyclopedia

Elements · ← Yb Ytterbium · Hf Hafnium →

Lu Lutetium

Radioactive lutetium-177 is attached to targeting molecules to treat certain cancers.

Basic facts

SymbolLu
Atomic number71
Standard atomic weight174.9667
Groupnone (lanthanide series)
Period6
Blockf-block
CategoryLanthanide
Standard stateSolid
Discovered1907

Source: PubChem, Lutetium (periodic table data, retrieved 2026-10-19). Group and period follow the standard 18-column periodic table.

Biotech uses & experiments

radiotherapy

commercial radiotherapy 2017

Lutetium-177-Dotatate (NETTER-1)

In the NETTER-1 phase 3 trial in 229 patients with advanced midgut neuroendocrine tumours, estimated 20-month progression-free survival was 65.2% with lutetium-177-Dotatate versus 10.8% with octreotide LAR alone.

Built / tested: 177Lu-Dotatate

As reported in: Strosberg, El-Haddad, Wolin et al. (2017). Phase 3 Trial of 177 Lu-Dotatate for Midgut Neuroendocrine Tumors. New England Journal of Medicine. doi:10.1056/nejmoa1607427

Read free · publisher open access

commercial radiotherapy 2021

Lutetium-177-PSMA-617 (VISION)

In the VISION phase 3 trial in advanced PSMA-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, adding lutetium-177-PSMA-617 to standard care prolonged imaging-based progression-free survival and overall survival.

Built / tested: 177Lu-PSMA-617

As reported in: Sartor, de Bono, Chi et al. (2021). Lutetium-177–PSMA-617 for Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer. New England Journal of Medicine. doi:10.1056/nejmoa2107322

Read free · preprint / author manuscript

Entries elsewhere on the site that mention lutetium

Found by name, common compounds and chemical formulas in each entry.

Patents

Search Google Patents for lutetium in biological and medical uses: all patents · recent applications (2022+)

A patent is a legal claim, not proof that something works. See the Patents page.