Hackensack University Medical Center in Pluvicto Trial for Prostate Cancer

PRELUDE trial in partnership with Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center studies response rates when given before radical prostatectomy

December 17, 2025

The Department of Urology's Oncologic Research Program at Hackensack University Medical Center is participating in the innovative PRELUDE trial for high-risk prostate cancer, in partnership with Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. This groundbreaking study was initiated at Hackensack University Medical Center by Nitin Yerram, M.D., Director of Urologic Oncology at John Theurer Cancer Center.

The PRELUDE trial is a Phase II study investigating the use of Pluvicto (Lu-177-PSMA-617), a targeted radiopharmaceutical, before a radical prostatectomy. The research, supported by a $1.5 million grant from Novartis, aims to determine if this neoadjuvant therapy can lead to post-surgical cancer downstaging and reduce recurrence rates for patients with high-risk, localized prostate cancer. Pluvicto works by binding to prostate cancer cells and is currently approved for treating metastatic disease.

“High-risk prostate cancer is notorious for having a high rate of recurrence, which can cause significant issues in terms of therapy and morbidity for the patient after prostatectomy,” Dr. Yerram said. "We are studying whether the addition of this targeted therapy will help downstaging rates and in turn, reduce recurrence rates down the road for patients with high-risk prostate cancer."

The PRELUDE study is a cornerstone of Hackensack University Medical Center’s growing portfolio of clinical trials specifically focused on advancing precision medicine for prostate cancer, developing new therapies for recurrent disease, and minimizing treatment side effects.

In addition to the PRELUDE study, other key prostate cancer trials are underway at Hackensack University Medical Center. For the past two years, the center’s urologists have enrolled patients in the first and only prospective, randomized clinical trial evaluating CLARIX CORD 1K®, a cryopreserved umbilical cord and amniotic membrane matrix applied during surgery to the nerves controlling erectile and urinary function. Additionally, Hackensack University Medical Center will serve as the lead site for the investigator-initiated SCOUT trial, funded by a $500,000 grant from Blue Earth Diagnostics, which will investigate the role of PSMA PET imaging in the post-focal therapy setting.

Learn more about our innovations in urological care.