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Neuroendocrine TumorsPhase 2DSC-NECNCT07733024

Comparing DLL3 PET/CT to Standard Scans in Neuroendocrine Cancer

A Phase 2 study testing 68Ga-PFD3 in people with Neuroendocrine Tumors, run by Tingting Yuan at 2 sites in China.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

This study is testing a new PET/CT scan that uses a special tracer called [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-DLL3 nanobody to see if it can better detect cancer spread (metastases) in people with neuroendocrine tumors than the standard scans currently used (FDG PET/CT or PSMA PET/CT). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 80 years
Conditions the study is for
Neuroendocrine Tumors
What is being tested?
68Ga-PFD3
Type of treatment
Injection or infusion
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
200 participants
Where
2 sitesChina
Study dates
6 Jul 2026to 31 Dec 2028
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 80 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age ≥ 18 and ≤ 80 years at the time of signing the informed consent form, male or female.
  • Histologically or cytologically confirmed neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs), including but not limited to small cell lung cancer (SCLC), neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC), gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NENs), or other NEN subtypes.
  • Patients with strong clinical and radiological suspicion of NENs based on imaging (CT/MRI/conventional PET/CT) and clinical presentation.
  • At least 2 evaluable metastatic lesions (multiple metastases) confirmed by conventional imaging (CT/MRI/PET/CT).
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-2. Life expectancy > 3 months.
  • Voluntarily agrees to participate and provides written informed consent.
  • Females of childbearing potential and male participants agree to use reliable contraceptive methods for 6 months after the last study drug administration.
  • Willing and able to comply with scheduled visits, diagnostic procedures, clinical laboratory tests, and other study procedures.

Who cannot join

  • Known severe immediate-type hypersensitivity or anaphylactic reaction to DLL3-targeted tracers, nanobody proteins, chelators, buffer components, or excipients.
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
  • Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 30 mL/min/1.73m².
  • Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) > 3 × upper limit of normal (ULN).
  • Total bilirubin > 1.5 × ULN.
  • Inability to tolerate or cooperate with PET/CT imaging procedures, including but not limited to: severe claustrophobia, inability to remain supine and still for at least 30 minutes, or inability to establish adequate intravenous access.
Show all 13Show fewer
  • Received chemotherapy, biological therapy, endocrine therapy, molecular targeted therapy, or investigational drug therapy within 4 weeks prior to enrollment.
  • Currently participating in another interventional clinical trial.
  • Prior exposure to any DLL3-targeted therapeutic agent (e.g., Tarlatamab, bispecific T-cell engagers, or DLL3-targeted radioimmunotherapy) or DLL3-targeted radiotracer.
  • Prior radionuclide therapy or diagnostic scan with an interval of less than 10 physical half-lives of the administered radionuclide prior to study tracer administration.
  • History of any other malignancy within 5 years prior to screening, except for adequately treated non-melanoma skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or other malignancies with negligible risk of recurrence in the investigator's opinion.
  • Clinically significant abnormalities on physical examination, electrocardiogram (ECG), or clinical laboratory tests during screening that, in the investigator's opinion, may compromise safety or study compliance.
  • Any other condition that, in the investigator's opinion, makes the patient unsuitable for study participation (e.g., severe psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, poor compliance).

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Tingting Yuan, MD contact

+86 13051707479

biluohtt@163.com

China2 sites, 2 recruiting
  • Peking University First Hospital

    Beijing, Beijing Municipality, 100034

    Tingting Yuan, MD, +86 010 83575252, biluohtt@163.com

    Recruiting
  • Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University First Hospital

    Beijing, 100034

    Recruiting

Other trials in China

About this study

Official title: A Prospective, Multi-Center, Self-Controlled Phase IIa Clinical Trial Evaluating the Diagnostic Performance and Clinical Impact of [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-DLL3 Nanobody PET/CT Compared to [¹⁸F]FDG or [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-PSMA PET/CT in Patients With Metastatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

This study is testing a new PET/CT scan that uses a special tracer called [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-DLL3 nanobody to see if it can better detect cancer spread (metastases) in people with neuroendocrine tumors than the standard scans currently used (FDG PET/CT or PSMA PET/CT). DLL3 is a protein found on the surface of many neuroendocrine tumor cells, and the new tracer is designed to stick to this protein, making tumors visible on the scan. The goal is to find out whether this new imaging method can give doctors more accurate information about where the cancer has spread and help them choose the most appropriate treatment for each patient.

The study is prospective, multi-center, and self-controlled, meaning each participant will receive both the new scan and the standard scan, allowing a direct side-by-side comparison in the same person. Depending on the type of neuroendocrine tumor, participants will be assigned to one of two groups: one group will be compared with FDG PET/CT and the other with PSMA PET/CT. The two scans will be performed within two weeks of each other, and all images will be read by independent experts who do not know the patient's clinical history, to ensure objective and unbiased results.

The investigators plan to enroll about 180-200 patients aged 18 or older who have confirmed neuroendocrine tumors with at least two metastatic sites. The total duration of participation is approximately 6 months, consisting of a screening period of up to 14 days, two imaging scans completed within 2 days, and a final follow-up visit at 6 months to evaluate participants' health and disease progression. Participation is entirely voluntary, and participants may withdraw at any time without affecting participants' standard medical care.

Being tested
68Ga-PFD3
Keywords
Neuroendocrine Tumors, [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-DLL3 Nanobody, DLL3 expression, Comparative Study
Medical subject headings
Neuroendocrine Tumors

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • 68Ga-PFD3Drug

    Also called 68Ga-DLL3

    [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-PFD3 is a novel PET tracer constructed by conjugating a DLL3-specific nanobody (single-domain antibody, ~15 kDa) with a chelator for ⁶⁸Ga radiolabeling. DLL3 (Delta-like ligand 3) is a cell-surface protein that is rarely expressed in healthy adult tissues but is overexpressed in over 80% of small cell lung cancer and in other high-grade neuroendocrine tumors, making it an attractive target for molecular imaging. The nanobody platform offers advantages over conventional monoclonal antibody-based tracers (e.g., [⁸⁹Zr]Zr-DFO-SC16.56): smaller size (~15 kDa vs. ~150 kDa) enables superior tissue penetration, rapid blood clearance, and shorter in vivo residence time, allowing same-day PET/CT imaging within hours post-injection.

    Participants receive a single intravenous injection of [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-PFD3 (activity: 111-185 MBq; protein mass and molar activity controlled per protocol), followed by whole-body PET/CT acquisition at approximately 2 hours post-injection. Images are acquired from

Study groups in NCT07733024
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
[⁶⁸Ga]Ga-DLL3 Nanobody PET/CTExperimentalParticipants receive a single intravenous injection of [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-DLL3 nanobody (a novel radiotracer targeting Delta-like ligand 3 [DLL3]), followed by whole-body PET/CT imaging at approximately 2 hours post-injection. DLL3 is a protein aberrantly expressed on the surface of neuroendocrine tumor cells. The nanobody is engineered for high-affinity and specificity binding to DLL3, enabling non-invasive visualization of DLL3-expressing tumor lesions. The total injected protein mass and molar activity are controlled according to the study protocol to ensure consistent imaging quality. PET/CT images are acquired from skull base to mid-thigh (extended to feet if clinically indicated) using a standardized acquisition protocol. Image reconstruction is performed with consistent algorithms across all participants. Each subject serves as their own control, with the DLL3 PET/CT results compared to their conventional imaging (FDG PET/CT or PSMA PET/CT) performed within 2 weeks. The scan is performed
Receives: Drug: 68Ga-PFD3

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Diagnostic Accuracy of [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-DLL3 Nanobody PET/CT in Detecting Metastatic Lesions

    Sensitivity and specificity of [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-DLL3 nanobody PET/CT for detecting metastatic lesions in patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms, using a composite reference standard (incorporating histopathology, conventional imaging [FDG/PSMA PET/CT, diagnostic CT/MRI], and 6-month clinical/imaging follow-up) as the truth standard.

    Measured: Baseline (within 14 days of enrollment) and Month 6

Secondary outcomes (5)
  1. Lesion Detection Rate

    Per-lesion detection rate of [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-DLL3 PET/CT compared to FDG or PSMA PET/CT, stratified by anatomical location (e.g., liver, bone, lung, brain, lymph nodes).

    Measured: Baseline (within 14 days of enrollment)

  2. Clinical Management Change Rate

    Proportion of patients whose clinical management (e.g., staging, treatment selection, or biopsy site decision) is altered based on [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-DLL3 PET/CT results compared to conventional imaging.

    Measured: Baseline (at time of image interpretation, within 14 days of enrollment)

  3. Safety and Tolerability

    Incidence, severity, and causality of adverse events (graded per CTCAE v5.0) following single intravenous injection of [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-DLL3 nanobody, including injection site reactions, allergic reactions, and any serious adverse events.

    Measured: Up to 24 hours post-injection

  4. Correlation with DLL3 Expression

    Correlation between [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-DLL3 PET/CT uptake (SUVmax, SUVmean) and DLL3 expression level by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in biopsied tumor specimens (where available).

    Measured: At study completion (expected at Month 6)

  5. Target-to-Background Ratio (TBR)

    Quantitative comparison of TBR between [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-DLL3 PET/CT and standard scans (FDG or PSMA PET/CT) in identified lesions, with background regions pre-defined as liver, blood pool, and muscle.

    Measured: Baseline (within 14 days of enrollment)

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted29 Jul 2026
  2. Study start6 Jul 2026
  3. Primary completion31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completion31 Dec 2028 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Diagnosis
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
200 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07733024
Sponsor's protocol ID
NEC-DLL3-01
Acronym
DSC-NEC
Status last verified
Jul 2026
First submitted
13 Jul 2026
Last updated
28 Sep 2026
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: Individual participant data will not be shared to protect participant privacy and confidentiality, as this study involves imaging data (PET/CT) that could potentially be re-identifiable. Only aggregate results will be published in peer-reviewed journals.

Publications

  • Henke RM, Meredith DM, Borromeo MD, Savage TK, Johnson JE. Ascl1 and Neurog2 form novel complexes and regulate Delta-like3 (Dll3) expression in the neural tube. Dev Biol. 2009 Apr 15;328(2):529-40. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2009.01.007. Epub 2009 Jan 14.

    PubMed 19389376
  • Tendler S, Dunphy MP, Agee M, O'Donoghue J, Aly RG, Choudhury NJ, Kesner A, Kirov A, Mauguen A, Baine MK, Schoder H, Weber WA, Rekhtman N, Lyashchenko SK, Bodei L, Morris MJ, Lewis JS, Rudin CM, Poirier JT. Imaging with [89Zr]Zr-DFO-SC16.56 anti-DLL3 antibody in patients with high-grade neuroendocrine tumours of the lung and prostate: a phase 1/2, first-in-human trial. Lancet Oncol. 2024 Aug;25(8):1015-1024. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(24)00249-3. Epub 2024 Jun 28.

    PubMed 38950555
  • Lahiri A, Maji A, Potdar PD, Singh N, Parikh P, Bisht B, Mukherjee A, Paul MK. Lung cancer immunotherapy: progress, pitfalls, and promises. Mol Cancer. 2023 Feb 21;22(1):40. doi: 10.1186/s12943-023-01740-y.

    PubMed 36810079

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing 68Ga-PFD3 in people with Neuroendocrine Tumors, run by Tingting Yuan at 2 sites in China.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 13 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites in China. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Tingting Yuan, MD (+86 13051707479, biluohtt@163.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Diagnostic Accuracy of [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-DLL3 Nanobody PET/CT in Detecting Metastatic Lesions (time frame: Baseline (within 14 days of enrollment) and Month 6). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07733024, which also lists 3 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 Sep 2026.

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