Tracer library / [18F]FDOPA
[18F]FDOPA
Also written as 6-[18F]fluoro-L-DOPA; [18F]dihydroxyphenylalanine; [18F]F-DOPA; [18F]FDOPA; [18F]Fluoro-DOPA; [18F]Fluoro-L-DOPA; [18F]fluorodopa
- Radionuclide
- F-18 t½ 109.7 min
- Modality
- PET
- Production route
- Cyclotron liquid target
- Stage
- Approved
- Syntheses indexed
- 26
What it is
- Compound class
- Amino acid
- Target / mechanism
- System L (LAT1) amino-acid transport into cells; for dopaminergic imaging, subsequent decarboxylation by aromatic-L-amino-acid decarboxylase (AADC) PMID 30519867 / DOI 10.1007/s00259-018-4207-9; PMID 39384519 / DOI 10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2024.09.004
- Clinical application
- Parkinsonian syndromes; neuroendocrine tumours; congenital hyperinsulinism; glioma PMID 39384519 / DOI 10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2024.09.004
- Theranostic pair
- —
Regulatory status
- FDA
- Yes — 2019; Fluorodopa F 18; The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research; NDA 200655 Drugs@FDA, NDA 200655, approved 2019-10-10 — https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf/index.cfm?event=BasicSearch.process&searchTerm=fluorodopa
- EMA (centralised)
- No EMA medicines register — no centrally authorised medicine containing fluorodopa (18F); search: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines?search_api_fulltext=fluorodopa
- Other approvals
- Not centrally authorised by EMA, but holds national marketing authorisations in multiple EU/EEA member states (national / decentralised / mutual-recognition procedures). Example (official national register): France — IASOdopa, fluorodopa (18F), marketing authorisation active since 16/11/2006, holder Curium Austria GmbH.
- Brand names
- Fluorodopa F 18 (US)
Clinical use
- Typical injected activity
- 185-200 MBq PMID 30519867 / DOI 10.1007/s00259-018-4207-9 (Joint EANM/EANO/RANO/SNMMI practice guideline for PET imaging of gliomas with radiolabelled amino acids and FDG, v1.0 -- 'Administered activity in adults' table)
- Uptake time
- 10-30 min post-injection for brain-tumour imaging (EANM/EANO/RANO glioma guideline) PMID 30519867 / DOI 10.1007/s00259-018-4207-9
Reported in the literature. Not a dosing recommendation.
Published syntheses
| Module | Cassette | Purification | Yield % | RCP % | Precursor / supplier | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRACERlab FX N Pro GE HealthCare | custom manifold | HPLC+SPE | 5.2 ± 0.5% not corrected | >99% | 3,4-OMOM-6-(BPin)DOPA(Boc)2-OtBu (8) WuXi AppTec | 39064920 2024 Molecules these conditions were translated to the commercially available automated synthesis module TRACERlab FX N Pro (GE Healthcare) - The radiotracer was obtained with an activity yield (AY; isolated, not decay-corrected) of 5.2 ± 0.5% (n = 3) |
| In-house / custom built in-house | custom manifold | HPLC+SPE | — | — | 3,4-OMOM-6-(BPin)DOPA(Boc)2-OtBu (8) WuXi AppTec | 39064920 2024 Molecules Radiosynthesis was performed on...remote-controlled apparatus (in-house development) |
| Manual synthesis | custom manifold | HPLC | 30±3 | — | Boc2-6-Me3Sn-DOPA(MOM)2-OMe | 36214204 2023 Chemistry Optimized procedure for radiofluorination of stannyl precursors: [18F]F− was loaded onto a QMA carbonate cartridge - Subsequent deprotection and HPLC isolation delivered the desired tracer in good AYs of 30±3 %. |
| Raytest SynChrom Elysia-Raytest | custom manifold | HPLC+SPE | 15% | ≥97% | ABX 1336,…ABX 1336, (S)-3-(5-Formyl-4-methoxymethoxy-2-nitro-phenyl)-2-(trityl-amino)-propionic acid tert-butyl ester ABX | 36678506 2022 Pharmaceuticals (Basel) The synthesis and its modifications were carried out using a Raytest Synchrom R&D module. - with a radiochemical yield (RCY) of 15%, radiochemical purity (RCP) ≥ 97%, and enantiomeric purity (ee) ≥ 96%. |
| Neptis (model not stated) | — | SPE | 11.8 ± 3.2% decay-corrected | >95% | ABX nitro precursor | 35607634 2022 Nucl Med Mol Imaging NEPTIS module and a commercially available cassette based chemistry - The decay uncorrected yield were 5.5 ± 1.5% (n = 33) which corresponds to a decay corrected yield of 11.8 ± 3.2% (n = 33). |
| FASTlab 2 | — | SPE | 9.3-9.8% not corrected | >99.9% | — | 34513282 2021 Am J Nucl Med Mol Imaging using a GE Fastlab 2 module - The uncorrected radiochemical yields of [18F]FDOPA were 9.3-9.8% with a total synthesis time of ~140 min. |
| In-house / custom built | custom manifold | HPLC | 9.3 ± 4.2% not corrected | 97.4 ± 1.4% | trimethylstannyl-precursor 2 ABX | 34117961 2021 EJNMMI Radiopharm Chem The synthesis is carried out using a custom-build synthesis platform - [18F]1 is obtained in a non-decay corrected (n.d.c.) RCY of 9.3 ± 4.2%, 45 min from the end of the second bombardment. |
| TRACERlab MX GE HealthCare | vendor cassette | SPE | 5.6 ± 0.3% not corrected | 98.4 ± 0.16% | nitro-precursor 4 ABX | 34117961 2021 EJNMMI Radiopharm Chem The automated synthesis of [18F]1 is performed on a GE Tracerlab MX module - [18F]1 is obtained in a non-decay corrected RCY of 5.6 ± 0.3%, 95 min from EOB. |
| AllinOne (AiO) Trasis | vendor cassette | HPLC | 30 ± 8% not corrected | 99.8 ± 0.5% | nitroveratraldehyde 7 | 34117961 2021 EJNMMI Radiopharm Chem [18F]1 is synthesized using the Trasis AllinOne (AiO) automated radiochemistry module - [18F]1 is obtained in a non-decay corrected RCY of 30 ± 8%, 70 min from EOB. |
| In-house / custom built | custom manifold | HPLC+SPE | 54 ± 5% decay-corrected | — | N,N,O,O'-tetraBoc-6-(SnMe3)DOPA-OEt ABX | 29244780 2017 Molecules All automated radiosyntheses were carried out in a home-made synthesis module. - 6-[18F]FDOPA in a high RCY of 54 ± 5% (n = 5) |
| — | — | HPLC | 7±1 % | — | nickel complex 4 a | 26478840 2015 ChemistryOpen |
| Raytest SynChrom Elysia-Raytest | — | HPLC | 15 ± 5 % | 97 ± 3 | 6-trimethylstannyl-L-DOPA ABX | 29564384 2017 EJNMMI Radiopharm Chem the synthesis module (Raytest, Synchrom FDOPA F2, see schematic overview in Fig. 1) - FDOPA-Lower 20Ne(d,α)18F single-shoot68 15 ± 5 8.5 ± 3.3 97 ± 3 526 ± 192 |
| Raytest SynChrom Elysia-Raytest | — | HPLC | 23 ± 4 % | 97 ± 3 | 6-trimethylstannyl-L-DOPA ABX | 29564384 2017 EJNMMI Radiopharm Chem the synthesis module (Raytest, Synchrom FDOPA F2, see schematic overview in Fig. 1) - FDOPA-Higher 18O(p,n)18F double-shoot42 23 ± 4 121 ± 27 97 ± 3 4521 ± 967 |
| TRACERlab FX FN GE HealthCare | custom manifold | HPLC+SPE | 6 ± 1% | >99% | FDOPA BPin precursor (1) ABX | 32269382 2020 Nat Protoc General Electric (GE) TRACERLab FXFN synthesis module - 3.85 ± 0.59 GBq, 104 ± 16 mCi, 6 ± 1% based upon approximately 66.6 GBq (1800 mCi) of starting [18F]fluoride |
| TRACERlab FX FN GE HealthCare | custom manifold | HPLC+SPE | 5 ± 1% | >98% | FDOPA BPin precursor (1) ABX | 32269382 2020 Nat Protoc This pre-purification requires a modified TRACERlab FXFN synthesis module (see Supplementary Figure 2 for configuration and Supplementary Method 1 for timelist) - 2.26 ± 0.48 GBq, 61 ± 13 mCi, 5 ± 1% based upon 45.6 ± 11.0 GBq (1232 ± 298 mCi) of starting [18F]fluoride |
| TRACERlab FX FN | — | HPLC | 6 ± 1% | >99% | BPin precursor 1 ABX | 31536095 2019 Org Biomol Chem TRACERLab FXFN synthesis module - the activity yield (AY) was 6 ± 1%, based upon 1.8 Ci of [18F]fluoride |
| TRACERlab FX2 N GE HealthCare | — | HPLC | 15 ± 3% | 95.8 ± 1.4% | nucleophilic precursor | 33153893 2021 Appl Radiat Isot purified using in-built preparative HPLC on FX2N module - [18F]fluorodopa was synthesized with high radiochemical purity of 95.8 ± 1.4% with 15 ± 3% yield. |
| iPHASE FlexLab iPHASE Technologies | — | — | 10~14% decay-corrected | >95% | — | 32113705 2020 Appl Radiat Isot iPHASE FlexLab module - Decay-corrected radiochemical yield (RCY) of [18F]FDOPA synthesized by this method was 10~14% (n = 7) |
| Modular-Lab Standard Eckert & Ziegler | — | — | 20±1% | >98% | AB1336 | 27886621 2017 Nucl Med Biol an Ecker&Ziegler Modular-Lab Standard module - [18F]F-DOPA could be produced fully automated within 114min in RCYs of 20±1% |
| FASTlab GE HealthCare | — | HPLC | 36.3 ± 3.0% decay-corrected | — | — | 26011311 2015 J Labelled Comp Radiopharm on a GE FASTlab synthesizer - [(18)F]FDOPA and [(18)F]FTYR were produced in 36.3 ± 3.0% (n = 8) and 50.5 ± 2.7% (n = 10) FASTlab radiochemical yield (decay corrected) |
| TRACERlab FX FE GE HealthCare | — | HPLC | — | — | — | 25851249 2015 Ann Nucl Med Automatic synthesis of (18)F-FDOPA was based on the electrophilic method using TRACERlab FXFE module. |
| In-house / custom built Laboratory | — | — | — | ≥95% | — | 19433364 2009 Appl Radiat Isot In a home-made automatic synthesizer, 9064+/-3076 MBq of [(18)F]FDOPA were produced within 120 min from EOB (n=5). |
| — | — | HPLC | 22% | — | (2S,5S)-tert-butyl-5-(4-benzyloxy-2-fluoro-5…(2S,5S)-tert-butyl-5-(4-benzyloxy-2-fluoro-5-formylbenzyl)-2-tert-butyl-3-methyl-4-oxoimidazolidine-1-carboxylate | 19759110 2009 J Nucl Med |
| TRACERlab FX (model not stated) GE HealthCare | — | HPLC | 25±3% decay-corrected | — | N-formyl-3,4-di-tert-butoxycarbonyloxy-6-(tr…N-formyl-3,4-di-tert-butoxycarbonyloxy-6-(trimethylstannyl)-L-phenylalanine ethyl ester | 18278215 2008 Nuklearmedizin The TRACERlab Fx FDOPA module (GE Medical Systems) was used for the preparation of 6-[(18)F]fluoro-L-DOPA. - 6-[(18)F]fluoro-L-DOPA purified by HPLC was obtained in decay-corrected radiochemical yields of 25+/-3% |
| — | — | HPLC | — | — | 2-(2-Fluoro-4,…2-(2-Fluoro-4, 5-dimethoxybenzyl)-N-(diphenylmethylene) glycine tert-butyl ester (8) | 12579971 2001 Yao Xue Xue Bao |
| Anatech RB III Scanditronix/Anatech | — | — | — | >97% | — | 11065151 2000 Nucl Med Commun The radiosynthesis was performed by the Scanditronix Anatech RB III robotic system. |
Clinical literature
Clinical studies in the indexed corpus, ordered by design (multicentre, prospective, retrospective, others, case reports last) and then by year. Titles and links only, as published; this is not a summary of the evidence.
- Automatic extraction of PET RANO criteria with an externally validated deep learning model: Application to [18F]FDOPA PET imaging.2026 · Neuro Oncol · Retrospective, multicentre
- 18F-FDOPA PET/CT for neuroendocrine tumors in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1.2026 · Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) · Prospective
- PET/MRI versus PET/CT in oncology: a prospective single-center study of 330 examinations focusing on implications for patient management and cost considerations.2020 · Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging · Prospective
- Clinical, Diagnostic, and Treatment Characteristics of SDHA-Related Metastatic Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma.2019 · Front Oncol · Prospective, retrospective
- Metastatic Pheochromocytoma/Paraganglioma: Diagnostic Performance of Functional Imaging (18F-Fluoro-L-DOPA-, 68Ga-DOTA- and 18F-Fluoro-Deoxyglucose-Based PET/CT) and of 123I-MIBG Scintigraphy in 57 Patients and 527 Controls During Long-Term Follow-Up.2025 · Cancers (Basel) · Retrospective
- A retrospective comparison between 68Ga-DOTA-TOC PET/CT and 18F-DOPA PET/CT in patients with extra-adrenal paraganglioma.2013 · Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging · Retrospective
- Automated radiosynthesis and clinical experience of [18F]SMBT-1 PET imaging for in vivo evaluation of reactive astrocyte in Parkinson's disease: a pilot study.2025 · Front Nucl Med · Clinical study
- 68 Ga- DOTATOC PET/CT, 18 F-FDOPA, and 18 F-FDG PET/MR Findings in Growth Hormone-secreting Pituitary Adenoma.2025 · Clin Nucl Med · Clinical study
- Application value of Philips Ingenuity TF PET/CT scanner imaging agent FAP in evaluating renal fibrosis.2025 · Hell J Nucl Med · Clinical study
- Case Series: ATRX Variants in Four Patients with Metastatic Pheochromocytoma.2024 · Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) · Clinical study
Show all 18 clinical studies
- Immunoassay interferences: laboratory pitfall in the diagnosis of adrenocortical carcinoma.2024 · BMJ Case Rep · Clinical study
- An automatic analysis framework for FDOPA PET neuroimaging.2023 · J Cereb Blood Flow Metab · Clinical study
- Functional dynamics of dopamine synthesis during monetary reward and punishment processing.2021 · J Cereb Blood Flow Metab · Clinical study
- Maximizing the use of batch production of 18F-FDOPA for imaging of brain tumors to increase availability of hybrid PET/MR imaging in clinical setting.2021 · Neurooncol Pract · Clinical study
- Brain-first versus body-first Parkinson's disease: a multimodal imaging case-control study.2020 · Brain · Clinical study
- 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT in the localization of metastatic extra-adrenal paraganglioma and pheochromocytoma compared with 18F-DOPA PET/CT.2019 · Rev Esp Med Nucl Imagen Mol (Engl Ed) · Clinical study
- Ageing effect on 18F-DOPA and 123I-MIBG uptake: a cross-sectional study.2018 · Nucl Med Commun · Clinical study
- A Rare Cyclic Cushing Syndrome Mystery Illustrates Diagnostic Principles.2024 · JCEM Case Rep · Case report
Precursor
- Common precursor
- Nucleophilic route: protected nitro-precursor (e.g. nitro-aldehyde 'ABX 1336', (S)-3-(5-formyl-4-methoxymethoxy-2-nitro-phenyl)-2-(trityl-amino)-propionic acid tert-butyl ester) or nitroveratraldehyde; electrophilic route: enantiopure trimethylstannyl precursor PMID 34117961 / DOI 10.1186/s41181-021-00135-y; PMID 36678506 / DOI 10.3390/ph16010010
- Suppliers seen in the literature
- ABX advanced biochemical compounds (Radeberg, Germany)
- Cited suppliers in indexed syntheses
- ABX, WuXi AppTec
- Typical final purification
- HPLC (electrophilic route); SPE possible (nucleophilic)
Need this precursor?We can point you to suppliers for [18F]FDOPA, or handle the enquiry for you.
Get in touchQuality control Pharmacopoeial monograph
- Ph. Eur. monograph
- 1918 (electrophilic route); 2481 (nucleophilic route) Fluorodopa (18F) (prepared by electrophilic substitution) injection / Fluorodopa (18F) (prepared by nucleophilic substitution) injection
- USP monograph
- Fluorodopa F 18 Injection referenced in FDA product labelling; not independently verified — USP-NF index is subscription-only
How this set was arrived at. Base set per Ph. Eur. 0125. Related substances + [18F]fluoride by HPLC; catecholamine structure -> ECD (per draft note). FIX: 'Kryptofix' applies to the NUCLEOPHILIC route only (monograph 2481); the ELECTROPHILIC route (1918) uses no aminopolyether. Residual solvents (GC) apply to both routes.
Tests listed by reference only. Monograph texts are copyrighted and are not reproduced here. How these are derived
Setting up quality control?We can help you scope the equipment needed to release [18F]FDOPA.
Get in touchNotes
Carbidopa premedication common. Both electrophilic and nucleophilic routes in clinical use.