Oxford Phase 2 Tracer Detects Early Endometriosis in 20 Women, Aiming to Cut 12-Year Diagnostic Delays
Updated
Updated · Spectrum News · Jul 13
Oxford Phase 2 Tracer Detects Early Endometriosis in 20 Women, Aiming to Cut 12-Year Diagnostic Delays
1 articles · Updated · Spectrum News · Jul 13
Summary
A Phase 2 exploratory study at Oxford found injectable tracer 99mTc-maraciclatide could visualize early-stage endometriosis in 20 women, with most positive scans later confirmed during surgery.
The scan pairs the tracer with widely available SPECT-CT imaging to highlight abnormal blood-vessel growth linked to inflammation, potentially offering a less invasive alternative to diagnostic laparoscopy.
Three participants had limited imaging because endometriosis scarring near the bladder masked the signal, a problem researchers said future studies should address by reducing bladder activity.
Serac Healthcare, which developed the tracer for rheumatoid arthritis, is launching a larger Phase 3 trial in the U.K. and U.S. to verify the screening test.
The advance targets a major care gap: endometriosis affects more than 1 in 10 women, and U.S. patients wait about 12 years on average for a diagnosis.