Rapid, high-yield enzymatic synthesis of n.c.a. 6-[¹⁸F]fluorodopamine (6-[¹⁸F]FDA) for in vivo application

6-[¹⁸F]Fluorodopamine (6-[¹⁸F]FDA) proved valuable as a diagnostic tool for neuroendocrine and rare tumors, such as ganglioneuromas and pheochromocytomas, however, clinical application is still limited. So far, its radiosyntheses were impeded by the formation of side-products, low molar activity, multi-step reactions and the use of challenging precursors. Here, we describe a detailed enzymatic procedure for fast, simple and high yield synthesis of no carrier added 6-[¹⁸F]FDA from 6-[¹⁸F]FDOPA with high radiochemical yield of ~69 % and >95 % purity as determined by radio-HPLC and -TLC. The product formulation was stable and suitable for in vivo application.