Preparation of [⁶⁸Ga]GaCl₃ Using a Cyclotron

Recent developments in ⁶⁸Ga-radiopharmaceuticals, including a number of regulatory approvals for clinical use, has created a hitherto unprecedented demand for ⁶⁸Ga. Reliable access to enough ⁶⁸Ga to meet growing clinical demand using only ⁶⁸Ge/⁶⁸Ga generators has been problematic in recent years. To address this challenge, we have optimized the direct production of ⁶⁸Ga on a cyclotron via the ⁶⁸Zn(p,n)⁶⁸Ga reaction using a liquid target. This protocol describes the cyclotron-based production of [⁶⁸Ga]GaCl₃ implemented at the University of Michigan using a liquid target on GE PETtrace instrumentation. The protocol provides 56 ± 4 mCi (n = 3) of [⁶⁸Ga]GaCl₃ that meets the necessary quality control criteria to use for the preparation of ⁶⁸Ga-radiopharmaceuticals for human use.