Pharmacotherapeutic group: Other therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, ATC code: V10XX05
Mechanism of action
The active moiety of Pluvicto is the radionuclide lutetium‑177 which is linked to a targeting moiety that binds with high affinity to PSMA, a transmembrane protein that is highly expressed in prostate cancer, including mCRPC. Upon the binding of Pluvicto to PSMA‑expressing cancer cells, the beta‑minus emission from lutetium‑177 delivers therapeutic radiation to the targeted cell, as well as to surrounding cells, and induces DNA damage which can lead to cell death.
Pharmacodynamic effects
There are no data regarding lutetium (177Lu) vipivotide tetraxetan exposure‑efficacy relationships and the time course of pharmacodynamic response.
There are limited data regarding lutetium (177Lu) vipivotide tetraxetan exposure‑safety relationships and the time course of pharmacodynamic response.
Vipivotide tetraxetan does not have any pharmacodynamic activity.
Clinical efficacy and safety
PSMAfore Study
The efficacy of Pluvicto in patients with progressive, PSMA-positive mCRPC previously treated with ARPI therapy was established in PSMAfore, a randomised, multicenter, open-label Phase III study. Four hundred and sixty-eight (N = 468) patients were randomised (1:1) to receive either Pluvicto 7,400 MBq every 6 weeks for a total of 6 doses (N = 234) or a change in ARPI (N = 234).
Patients maintained castrate levels of serum/plasma testosterone by either medical castration or prior orchiectomy. Eligible patients were required to be candidates for ARPI switch, have PSMA-positive mCRPC, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) of 0 to 1, at least one metastatic lesion present on computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or bone scan imaging, and adequate renal, hepatic and hematological function.
Eligible patients were also required to have progressed only once on an ARPI (abiraterone acetate, enzalutamide, darolutamide, or apalutamide). Prior taxane-based chemotherapy was only allowed in the adjuvant or neoadjuvant setting greater than 12 months before enrollment. Patients with unstable symptomatic central nervous system metastases or symptomatic or clinically/radiologically impending spinal cord compression were not eligible for the study. Patients underwent a gallium (68Ga) gozetotide positron emission tomography (PET) scan to evaluate PSMA expression in lesions defined by central read criteria. Eligible patients were required to have PSMA-positive mCRPC defined as having at least one tumor lesion with gallium (68Ga) gozetotide uptake greater than in normal liver. Patients were considered ineligible if any intraprostatic lesion or any one lesion larger than size criteria [organs ≥ 1 cm in longest diameter, lymph nodes ≥ 2.5 cm in short axis, bones (soft tissue component) ≥ 1 cm in longest diameter] had gallium (68Ga) gozetotide uptake less than or equal to uptake in normal liver.
Supportive care administered at the physician's discretion included: bone-targeted agents including zoledronic acid, denosumab, or other bisphosphonates; androgen deprivation therapy (ADT); palliative radiotherapy. Patients randomised to the change in ARPI arm were allowed to cross over to receive Pluvicto upon radiographic disease progression confirmed by blinded independent central review (BICR) or continue to receive any other therapy at the physician's discretion.
The primary efficacy endpoint was radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) as determined by BICR per Prostate Cancer Working Group 3 (PCWG3) criteria. The key secondary efficacy endpoint was overall survival (OS). Additional efficacy endpoints were time to first symptomatic skeletal event (SSE), PSA50 response, overall response rate (ORR), and an updated rPFS analysis at the time of third interim OS analysis.
Demographic and baseline disease characteristics were balanced between the treatment arms. The median age was 72 years (range: 43 to 94 years); 91% White; 2.6% Black or African American; 0.6% Asian; 99% had ECOG PS0-1. Randomisation was stratified by setting of prior ARPI use (castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) vs. hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (HSPC)) and by symptomatology (asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic vs. symptomatic (score >3 on item 3 of the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF) questionnaire)).
Efficacy results for PSMAfore are presented in Table 3 and Figure 1. At the primary analysis (data cut-off (DCO) date: 02-Oct-2022), treatment with Pluvicto demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in rPFS by BICR compared to a change in ARPI therapy. There was an estimated 59% risk reduction of radiographic disease progression or death. An updated analysis of rPFS was conducted at the time of the third interim OS analysis (DCO date: 27-Feb-2024) and the results were consistent with the primary analysis. The final analysis of OS (DCO date: 01-Jan-2025) was conducted after the occurrence of 299 deaths without accounting for crossover, following the intent-to-treat (ITT) principle.
Table 3 Efficacy results in PSMAfore
| Efficacy parameters | Pluvicto | Change in ARPI |
| Primary efficacy endpoints |
| Radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS)a | N = 233 | N = 234 |
| Events (progression or death), n (%) | 60 (25.8%) | 106 (45.3%) |
| Radiographic progressions, n (%) | 53 (22.7%) | 99 (42.3%) |
| Deaths, n (%) | 7 (3.0%) | 7 (3.0%) |
| Hazard ratio (95% CI)b | 0.41 (0.29, 0.56) |
| P-valuec | <0.001 |
| Median, months (95% CI)d | 9.3 (6.8, NE) | 5.6 (4.0, 6.0) |
| Updated median, months (95% CI)e | 11.6 (9.3, 14.2) | 5.6 (4.2, 6.0) |
| Key secondary efficacy endpoints |
| Overall survival (OS)f | N = 234 | N = 234 |
| Deaths, n (%) | 142 (60.7%) | 157 (67.1%) |
| Median, months (95% CI)d | 24.5 (19.5, 28.9) | 23.1 (19.6, 25.5) |
| Hazard ratio (95% CI)b | 0.91 (0.72, 1.14) |
| P-valuec | 0.20 |
| Additional secondary efficacy endpointsg |
| Time to symptomatic skeletal event (SSE) | N = 234 | N = 234 |
| Events (SSE or death), n (%) | 31 (13.2%) | 68 (29.1%) |
| SSEs, n (%) | 27 (11.5%) | 63 (26.9%) |
| Deaths, n (%) | 4 (1.7%) | 5 (2.1%) |
| Median, months (95% CI)d | NE | 18.0 (14.3, NE) |
| Hazard ratio (95% CI)b | 0.41 (0.26, 0.63) |
| PSA50 response | N = 220 | N = 226 |
| PSA50 response rate, n (%) | 113 (51.4%) | 39 (17.3%) |
| Best overall response (BOR) | | |
| Patients with measurable disease at baselineh | N = 72 | N = 72 |
| Complete response (CR), n (%) | 15 (20.8%) | 2 (2.8%) |
| Partial response (PR), n (%) | 20 (27.8%) | 8 (11.1%) |
| Stable disease (SD), n (%) | 21 (29.2%) | 30 (41.7%) |
| Progressive disease (PD), n (%) | 14 (19.4%) | 27 (37.5%) |
| Unknown, n (%) | 2 (2.8%) | 5 (6.9%) |
| Overall response rate (ORR)h,i,j | 35 (48.6%) | 10 (13.9%) |
| Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; NE, not estimable; BICR, blinded independent central review; PCWG3, prostate cancer working group 3; RECIST, response evaluation criteria in solid tumors. aBy BICR per PCWG3 criteria. Based on data cut-off (DCO) date 02-Oct-2022. bHazard ratio based on the stratified Cox PH model. Hazard ratio <1 favors Pluvicto. cStratified log-rank test one-sided p-value. dBased on Kaplan-Meier estimate. eMedian from third interim OS analysis based on 468 patients (234 Pluvicto arm, 234 control arm). Compared to the primary analysis, the median study duration from randomisation to DCO increased from 7.3 months to 24.1 months. fDCO date: 01-Jan-2025. gDCO date for all additional secondary efficacy endpoints is 27-Feb-2024. hResponses are based on soft tissue and bone lesion assessment. DCO date 27-Feb-2024. iBy BICR per RECIST v1.1. jORR: CR+PR. Confirmed response for CR and PR. |
Figure 1 Kaplan-Meier plot of BICR-assessed radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) in PSMAfore
Stratified log-rank test and stratified Cox model using strata per Interactive Response Technology (IRT) defined by setting of prior ARPI use and by symptomatology.
n/N: Number of events/number of patients in treatment arm.
Based on 27-Feb-2024 DCO, FACT-P total score showed an estimated 39% risk reduction of worsening from baseline, clinical progression or death based on hazard ratios in favor of Pluvicto, indicating patient stabilisation and delay in time to deterioration while on Pluvicto treatment. Specifically, time to worsening of the FACT-P total score was delayed by 3.2 months for Pluvicto with a median time to deterioration of 7.5 months (95% CI: 6.1, 8.5) compared to 4.3 months (95% CI: 3.5, 4.5) in the change in ARPI arm.
BPI-SF pain intensity scale showed an estimated 28% risk reduction of worsening from baseline, clinical progression or death based on hazard ratios in favor of Pluvicto, indicating patient stabilisation and less pain while on Pluvicto treatment. Specifically, time to worsening of the BPI-SF pain intensity scale was delayed by 1.3 months for Pluvicto with a median time to deterioration of 5.0 months (95% CI: 4.4, 6.8) compared to 3.7 months (95% CI: 3.1, 4.4) in the change in ARPI arm.
VISION Study:
The efficacy of Pluvicto in patients with progressive, PSMA‑positive mCRPC was established in VISION, a randomised, multicentre, open‑label phase III study. Eight hundred and thirty‑one (N=831) adult patients were randomised (2:1) to receive either Pluvicto 7,400 MBq every 6 weeks for up to a total of 6 doses plus best standard of care (BSoC) (N=551) or BSoC alone (N=280).
Eligible patients were required to have PSMA‑positive mCRPC, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) of 0 to 2, at least one metastatic lesion present on computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or bone scan imaging, and adequate renal, hepatic and haematological function. Eligible patients were also required to have received at least one AR pathway inhibitor, such as abiraterone acetate or enzalutamide, and 1 or 2 prior taxane‑based chemotherapy regimens (with a regimen defined as a minimum exposure of 2 cycles of a taxane). Patients with unstable symptomatic central nervous system metastases or symptomatic or clinically/radiologically impending spinal cord compression were not eligible for the study. Patients underwent a gallium (68Ga) gozetotide positron emission tomography (PET) scan to evaluate PSMA expression in lesions defined by central read criteria. Eligible patients were required to have at least one PSMA‑positive lesion identified by this scan, and no CT/MRI measurable lesions that showed poor or no gallium (68Ga) gozetotide uptake on the PET scan.
BSoC administered at the physician's discretion included: supportive measures including pain medications, hydration, blood transfusions, etc.; ketoconazole; radiation therapy (including seeded form or any external beam radiotherapy [including stereotactic body radiotherapy and palliative external beam]) to localised prostate cancer targets; bone‑targeted agents including zoledronic acid, denosumab and any bisphosphonates; androgen‑reducing agents including any corticosteroid and 5‑alpha reductases; AR pathway inhibitors. BSoC excluded investigational agents, cytotoxic chemotherapy, immunotherapy, other systemic radioisotopes, and hemi-body radiotherapy treatment.
Patients continued randomised treatment until evidence of tumour progression (based on investigator assessment per Prostate Cancer Working Group 3 [PCWG3] criteria), unacceptable toxicity, use of prohibited treatment, non‑compliance or withdrawal, or lack of clinical benefit.
The alternate primary efficacy endpoints were overall survival (OS) and radiographic progression‑free survival (rPFS) by blinded independent central review (BICR) per PCWG3 criteria. Additional secondary efficacy endpoints were overall response rate (ORR) by BICR per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1 and time to first symptomatic skeletal event (SSE) defined as first new symptomatic pathological bone fracture, spinal cord compression, tumour‑related orthopaedic surgical intervention, requirement for radiation therapy to relieve bone pain, or death from any cause, whichever occurred first.
Demographic and baseline disease characteristics were balanced between the treatment arms. The median age was 71 years (range: 40 to 94 years); 86.8% White; 6.6% Black or African American; 2.4% Asian; 92.4% had ECOG PS0‑1; 7.6% had ECOG PS2. Randomisation was stratified by baseline lactase dehydrogenase (LDH), presence of liver metastases, ECOG PS score and inclusion of an AR pathway inhibitor as part of BSoC at the time of randomisation. At randomisation, all patients (100.0%) had received at least one prior taxane‑based chemotherapy regimen and 41.2% of patients had received two. At randomisation, 51.3% of patients had received one prior AR pathway inhibitor, 41.0% of patients had received 2, and 7.7% of patients had received 3 or more. During the randomised treatment period, 52.6% of patients in the Pluvicto plus BSoC arm and 67.8% of patients in the BSoC alone arm received at least one AR pathway inhibitor.
Efficacy results for VISION are presented in Table 4 and Figures 2 and 3. The final analyses of OS and rPFS were event‑driven and conducted after the occurrence of 530 deaths and 347 events, respectively. Treatment with Pluvicto plus BSoC demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in OS and rPFS by BICR compared to treatment with BSoC alone. The primary efficacy results are supported by a statistically significant difference between the treatment arms in the time to first SSE (p <0.001) and ORR (p <0.001). There was an estimated 38% risk reduction of death, an estimated 60% risk reduction of radiographic disease progression or death, and an estimated 50% risk reduction of SSE or death based on hazard ratios in favour of Pluvicto plus BSoC treatment.
Table 4 Efficacy results in VISION
| Efficacy parameters | Pluvicto plus BsoC | BSoC |
| Alternate primary efficacy endpoints |
| Overall survival (OS)a | N = 551 | N = 280 |
| Deaths, n (%) | 343 (62.3%) | 187 (66.8%) |
| Median, months (95% CI)b | 15.3 (14.2; 16.9) | 11.3 (9.8; 13.5) |
| Hazard ratio (95% CI)c | 0.62 (0.52; 0.74) |
| P‑valued | <0.001 |
| Radiographic progression‑free survival (rPFS)e,f | N = 385 | N = 196 |
| Events (progression or death), n (%) | 254 (66.0%) | 93 (47.4%) |
| Radiographic progressions, n (%) | 171 (44.4%) | 59 (30.1%) |
| Deaths, n (%) | 83 (21.6%) | 34 (17.3%) |
| Median, months (95% CI)b | 8.7 (8.3; 10.5) | 3.4 (2.4; 4.0) |
| Hazard ratio (95% CI)c | 0.40 (0.31; 0.52) |
| P‑valued | <0.001 |
| Secondary efficacy endpoints |
| Time to first symptomatic skeletal event (SSE)f | N = 385 | N = 196 |
| Events (SSE or death), n (%) | 256 (66.5%) | 137 (69.9%) |
| SSEs, n (%) | 60 (15.6%) | 34 (17.3%) |
| Deaths, n (%) | 196 (50.9%) | 103 (52.6%) |
| Median, months (95% CI)b | 11.5 (10.3; 13.2) | 6.8 (5.2; 8.5) |
| Hazard ratio (95% CI)c | 0.50 (0.40; 0.62) |
| P‑valueg | <0.001 |
| Best overall response (BOR) | | |
| Patients with evaluable disease at baseline | N = 319 | N = 120 |
| Complete response (CR), n (%) | 18 (5.6%) | 0 (0%) |
| Partial response (PR), n (%) | 77 (24.1%) | 2 (1.7%) |
| Stable disease (SD), n (%) | 68 (21.3%) | 30 (25.0%) |
| Non‑CR/Non‑PD, n (%) | 121 (37.9%) | 48 (40.0%) |
| Progressive disease (PD), n (%) | 33 (10.3%) | 35 (29.2%) |
| Unknown, n (%) | 2 (0.6%) | 5 (4.2%) |
| Overall response rate (ORR)h,i | 95 (29.8%) | 2 (1.7%) |
| P‑valuej | <0.001 |
| Duration of response (DOR)h | | |
| Number of responders | N = 95 | N = 2 |
| Events (progression or death), n (%) | 46 (48.4%) | 1 (50.0%) |
| Radiographic progressions, n (%) | 29 (30.5%) | 1 (50.0%) |
| Deaths, n (%) | 17 (17.9%) | 0 (0%) |
| Median, months (95% CI)b | 9.8 (9.1; 11.7) | 10.6 (NE; NE)k |
| BSoC: Best standard of care; CI: Confidence interval; NE: Not evaluable; BICR: Blinded independent central review; PCWG3: Prostate Cancer Working Group 3; RECIST: Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. a Analysed on an ITT basis in all randomised patients. b Based on Kaplan‑Meier estimate. c Hazard ratio based on the stratified Cox PH model. Hazard ratio <1 favours Pluvicto plus BSoC. d Stratified log‑rank test one‑sided p‑value. e By BICR per PCWG3 criteria. The primary analysis of rPFS included censoring of patients who had ≥2 consecutive missed tumour assessments immediately prior to progression or death. Results for rPFS with and without censoring for missed assessments were consistent. f Analysed on an ITT basis in all patients randomised on or after 05-Mar-2019, when actions were implemented to mitigate early drop out from BSoC arm. g Stratified log‑rank test two‑sided p‑value. h By BICR per RECIST v1.1. i ORR: CR+PR. Confirmed response for CR and PR. j Stratified Wald's Chi‑square test two‑sided p‑value. k Median DOR in the BSoC only arm was not reliable since only 1 of the 2 patients who responded had RECIST v1.1 radiographic progression or death. |
Figure 2 Kaplan‑Meier plot of overall survival in VISION

Stratified log‑rank test and stratified Cox model using strata per Interactive Response Technology (IRT) defined by LDH level, presence of liver metastases, ECOG score and inclusion of an AR pathway inhibitor in BSoC at time of randomisation.
n/N: Number of events/number of patients in treatment arm.
Figure 3 Kaplan‑Meier plot of BICR‑assessed radiographic progression‑free survival (rPFS) in VISION
Stratified log‑rank test and stratified Cox model using strata per IRT defined by LDH level, presence of liver metastases, ECOG score and inclusion of an AR pathway inhibitor in BSoC at time of randomisation.
n/N: Number of events/number of patients in treatment arm.
Mean and median baseline prostate‑specific antigen (PSA) levels were similar in both treatment arms. Serum PSA levels decreased by ≥50% from baseline in 177 of 385 (46.0%) patients who received Pluvicto plus BSoC and in 14 of 196 (7.1%) patients who received BSoC alone.
FACT‑P total score showed an estimated 46% risk reduction of worsening from baseline, clinical progression or death based on hazard ratios in favour of Pluvicto plus BSoC, indicating patient stabilisation and delay in time to deterioration while on Pluvicto plus BSoC treatment. Specifically, time to worsening of the FACT‑P total score was delayed by 3.5 months for Pluvicto plus BSoC with a median time to deterioration of 5.7 months (95% CI: 4.8, 6.6) compared to 2.2 months (95% CI: 1.8, 2.8) for BSoC alone. BPI‑SF pain intensity scale showed an estimated 48% risk reduction of worsening from baseline, clinical progression or death based on hazard ratios in favour of Pluvicto plus BSoC, indicating patient stabilisation and less pain while on Pluvicto plus BSoC treatment. Specifically, time to worsening of the BPI‑SF pain intensity scale was delayed by 3.7 months for Pluvicto plus BSoC with a median time to deterioration of 5.9 months (95% CI: 4.8, 6.9) compared to 2.2 months (95% CI: 1.8, 2.8) for BSoC alone.
Paediatric population
The European Medicines Agency has waived the obligation to submit the results of studies with Pluvicto in all subsets of the paediatric population in the treatment of PSMA‑expressing prostate cancer (see section 4.2 for information on paediatric use).