Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center Is First in Southern New Jersey to Offer Innovative Prostate Cancer Treatment

Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center has become the first in South Jersey to offer Pluvicto, a novel targeted treatment for advanced prostate cancer. An innovative radiopharmaceutical, Pluvicto offers another option for patients whose prostate cancer continues to grow despite all other treatments.

“Our ability to offer Pluvicto demonstrates our commitment to providing the latest therapies for people with metastatic prostate cancer that cannot be successfully treated with other medications,” said Prashant A. Desai, MD, medical director of Radiation Oncology at Ocean University Medical Center.

Metastatic prostate cancer is cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. Pluvicto was approved by the FDA in 2022 for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), which keeps growing despite hormonal therapies that block the cancer-fueling effects of testosterone. In addition, patients’ cancers must contain prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), a protein found on the outside of prostate cancer cells. More than 80% of men with prostate cancer have PSMA on their prostate cancer cells — what is called “PSMA-positive prostate cancer.” Doctors use positron emission tomography (PET) scanning to see if a patient’s prostate cancer cells contain PSMA.

Pluvicto is a radioligand therapy (RLT). It is composed of a radioactive substance bound to a drug that targets PSMA. Here's how Pluvicto works:

• The patient receives Pluvicto through an injection every six weeks for up to six treatments.
• Each injection is given during a 10-minute outpatient radiology procedure.
• Pluvicto attaches to PSMA on prostate cancer cells, wherever they may be in the body — including bones, lymph nodes, and other organs.
• Pluvicto is absorbed by the cancer cell and then releases radiation that can damage and kill PSMA-positive cells.

Clinical trials showed Pluvicto slows prostate cancer growth and lengthens overall survival in patients with PSMA-positive metastatic CRPC even when other treatments, such as chemotherapy and hormonal therapies, have stopped working. It is the first and only FDA-approved PSMA-targeted RLT. “In addition, Pluvicto is associated with fewer side effects than chemotherapy, making it easier for patients to tolerate,” Dr. Desai added.

Patients who receive Pluvicto at Ocean University Medical Center may benefit from:

• Treatment closer to their homes
• Better quality of life
• Convenient treatment administration

Ocean University Medical Center is located at 425 Jack Martin Boulevard in Brick, New Jersey. For more information about accessing treatment with Pluvicto, call 732-836-4030.