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By rdnewsNOW Staff

PLUVICTO

Alberta approves new treatment for advanced prostate cancer

Mar 11, 2025 | 11:04 AM

The Government of Alberta has made Pluvicto, a new radiopharmaceutical treatment for advanced prostate cancer, available to Albertans in an effort to improve treatment access.

A national pricing agreement was reached in December 2024, after which it was added to the Schedule of Outpatient Cancer Drugs, making it the third province to do so along with Ontario and Nova Scotia.

“We know that Albertans living with advanced prostate cancer and their health providers have been awaiting access to this new treatment. Bringing Pluvicto to our province has been a priority for the government, and I’m pleased we can now offer this leading therapy to Albertans,” commented Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) is now finalizing a contract with the manufacturer to ensure the treatment is accessible to patients. The Outpatient Cancer Drug Benefit Program provides access to cancer medications included on the Schedule of Outpatient Cancer Drugs at no cost to patients.

Prior to offering this treatment, Alberta says it arranged for the special handling, administration and medical imaging require, as well as to provide training to health providers. The government anticipates this intravenous radioligand therapy will begin being administered later this month.

“When we partnered with Alberta Health to bring PSMA-PET imaging technology to Alberta in 2021, we knew it would be transformative,” said Wendy Beauchesne, CEO, Alberta Cancer Foundation. “We are thrilled it’s led to this emerging new treatment being offered – a breakthrough moment and incredible news for men with advanced prostate cancer.”

Officials say to begin, the drug will be offered at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, then will become available at the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre later this year.

Pluvicto is an intravenous treatment administered in a cancer centre and contains radioligand, a substance that combines a targeting molecule with a small amount of radiation. The radioligand binds to a specific receptor expression on prostate cancer cells, delivering a targeted dose of radiation to kill them.

Before receiving treatment, patients undergo a PET-CT scan to confirm they have the indicated receptor expression. It is estimated that about 200 advanced prostate cancer patients in Alberta have the specific receptor needed to benefit from this treatment each year.

In March 2024, Alberta says it provided $5 million for the provision of these scans to eligible Albertans to help accurately diagnose advanced prostate cancer and assist with administering the Pluvicto treatment.

The government says, in Alberta, about 2,500 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, with one in six men in the province being diagnosed in their lifetime.