The accelerated development of CRCBID’s melanoma tracer (MEL50) has resulted in the advancement of this tracer to clinical trials, with the first in human studies schedule for 2010.

Using benzamide analogues, which have a high affinity for identifying melanin, research teams working for CRCBID participant ANSTO have developed a number of lead molecules as potential imaging tools to find metastatic melanoma.

The best analogues have been assessed for uptake of melanin in several cancer cell lines in vitro at ANSTO, and have been imaged comprehensively in vivo using small animal PET computed tomography machines at both ANSTO and PMCC.

The figure below shows how effectively the melanoma metastases in the lung and lymph nodes can be imaged, using these tracers. ANSTO has conducted a technical transfer process for the synthesis of MEL50 to Cyclotek, under good manufacturing process (GMP).