FDA-approved
Digestive & weight
Ga-68 dotatate
Gallium Ga-68 dotatate (NETSPOT) is an FDA-approved PET tracer that locates neuroendocrine tumors. Learn how it works, what it is used for, and side effects.
- Reviewed by
- William Maish, MD MBA MPH, Clinical Product Lead
- Published
- October 5, 2026
- Last updated
- October 5, 2026
Key takeaway
Gallium Ga-68 dotatate (sold as NETSPOT) is a radioactive imaging agent that attaches a tracer to a somatostatin analog to light up neuroendocrine tumors on a PET scan. It finds tumors that carry somatostatin receptors, helping doctors locate and stage them. It has been FDA-approved in the U.S. since 2016 and is given as a single intravenous injection before imaging.
At a glance
| What it is | A gallium-68-labeled somatostatin analog used as a PET imaging agent |
| Approved for | Locating somatostatin-receptor-positive neuroendocrine tumors by PET |
| Key fact | It detects neuroendocrine tumors more sensitively than the older imaging agent it replaced and often changes management |
| Route | Intravenous injection |
| Evidence strength | FDA approved |
What is gallium Ga-68 dotatate?
Gallium Ga-68 dotatate, sold under the brand NETSPOT, is a diagnostic radiopharmaceutical: a somatostatin analog (dotatate) chemically linked to the radioactive isotope gallium-68, which emits positrons that a PET scanner can detect. It is used to find neuroendocrine tumors, which often carry large numbers of somatostatin receptors on their surface. It was approved in the United States in 2016.
How does gallium Ga-68 dotatate work?
The dotatate portion of the molecule binds with high affinity to somatostatin receptor subtype 2, which is overexpressed on well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor cells. When injected, the tracer concentrates wherever those receptors are abundant, and the attached gallium-68 emits positrons that produce a signal on a PET scan. The result is a map that highlights tumor sites throughout the body, including small lesions that other imaging can miss.
This receptor-targeted approach is more sensitive than the older somatostatin imaging agents. In a prospective study, gallium-68 dotatate PET/CT performed at least as well as, and often better than, the earlier indium-111 agent and changed management1 in about a third of patients. It is a diagnostic tool and is not itself a treatment, though its target is the same one used by the companion therapy lutetium Lu-177 dotatate.
Is it FDA-approved?
Yes. Gallium Ga-68 dotatate (NETSPOT) was approved2 by the FDA in 2016 for the localization of somatostatin-receptor-positive neuroendocrine tumors by PET in adult and pediatric patients. It is given as a single intravenous injection before the scan.
What is gallium Ga-68 dotatate used for?
It is used to locate and help stage neuroendocrine tumors that express somatostatin receptors, and to help select patients for somatostatin-targeted treatment. Long-acting somatostatin analog medications can interfere with tracer uptake, so their timing around the scan is considered.
What are the side effects?
No serious adverse reactions were identified in its clinical studies, according to the prescribing information2. Side effects reported since approval include:
- Pain or a burning sensation at the injection site
- Nausea and vomiting
More serious considerations include:
- Radiation exposure, inherent to any radiopharmaceutical, kept as low as reasonably achievable
- Hypersensitivity reactions, mostly rash and itching, and less often swelling or anaphylaxis-like reactions
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Sources: FDA prescribing information for NETSPOT; a prospective study of gallium-68 dotatate PET/CT (Deppen et al., Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 2016, DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.115.1638651), indexed on PubMed. This document is educational and does not constitute medical advice.