Pentixapharm Holding AG reported at the Annual Congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM 2026) in Vienna that new data from independent research groups in Europe and Asia strengthen the case for Pentixafor PET in primary aldosteronism, the condition targeted by its Phase 3 PANDA study. The accumulating evidence is important because it supports a non-invasive alternative to adrenal vein sampling, an invasive catheter procedure currently required to determine which patients have one-sided disease and could benefit from surgery.
The PANDA study is designed to evaluate [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-PentixaFor PET/CT for non-invasive subtyping in adults with confirmed primary aldosteronism. Primary aldosteronism is a common but underdiagnosed hormonal cause of high blood pressure. Patients with one-sided disease may be candidates for surgical removal of the affected adrenal gland instead of lifelong medical therapy, but identifying them currently depends on adrenal vein sampling. The FDA authorized the study to proceed in June 2026 and granted Fast Track designation in July 2026, and preparations in the United States are progressing.
At EANM 2026, the prospective PENTALON study from Paris added a French cohort to a consistent picture from independent studies on three continents. In the Monash study from Australia, Pentixafor PET identified one-sided disease with high specificity, was well tolerated, and was preferred by almost all patients over the catheter procedure. The first stage of the CASTUS study in the Netherlands pointed in the same direction. In PENTALON, where the disease was often not visible on CT, investigators see a clinical role for Pentixafor PET in sparing selected patients the catheter procedure and in supporting surgery decisions. Larger datasets from China, generated independently of Pentixapharm, complete the picture. Further congress information is available at https://eanm26.eanm.org/.
“Our pivotal Phase 3 study PANDA will answer a clear question: can we use a simple imaging procedure to identify the patients who can be helped by surgery, and spare them the invasive and burdensome catheter examination required today?” said Dr. Dirk Pleimes, Chief Executive Officer of Pentixapharm. “Data from independent groups in Europe, Asia and Australia increasingly point in this direction, and our preparations for PANDA in the U.S. are in full swing.”
Beyond primary aldosteronism, Pentixapharm is advancing CXCR4-targeted programs in hemato-oncology. At EANM 2026, investigators from CHU Nantes and collaborating French centers are scheduled to present an interim analysis of [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-PentixaFor PET/CT for initial staging and treatment-response assessment in multiple myeloma on October 21. These findings are relevant to the company’s broader theranostic strategy, which aims to translate CXCR4-targeted imaging into precision radiopharmaceutical treatment. The planned Phase I/II PENTHERA program will investigate combining PentixaFor imaging with [⁹⁰Y]Y-PentixaTher for targeted bone marrow conditioning before stem cell transplantation in patients with multiple myeloma and acute myeloid leukemia.
The growing body of independent evidence matters because it reinforces the rationale for PANDA and highlights the potential of CXCR4-targeted imaging across endocrine and oncological indications. For patients with primary aldosteronism, a simple scan that reliably identifies one-sided disease could reduce reliance on an invasive procedure and help guide the choice between surgery and medical treatment. The original release is available via www.newmediawire.com.
