Copper-64 is an emerging and versatile medical radioisotope with unique decay characteristics that enable its use in both diagnostic imaging and targeted radiotherapy. Due to its dual emission pathways (β⁺ for positron emission tomography – PET, and β⁻ for therapeutic applications), copper-64 provides a powerful theranostic platform, allowing simultaneous visualization of disease processes and targeted treatment using the same radiopharmaceutical.
Radiopharmaceuticals labeled with copper-64 offer the ability to track drug behavior in real time within living organisms, providing critical information about pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, receptor targeting, and metabolic stability. Copper-64 is particularly valuable in oncology, cardiology, neurology, and inflammatory disease research. PET imaging using Cu-64 enables precise detection of primary tumors, assessment of metastatic spread, monitoring of therapeutic response, and early identification of disease recurrence. As a result, copper-64 plays a crucial role in accelerating drug development, supporting personalized medicine, and improving clinical outcomes through accurate diagnostics and effective targeted radiotherapy.