Fluorine-18 patents (2009–2015). Part 1: novel radiotracers

The most commonly utilized PET radionuclide is fluorine-18 (18F) because of its convenient half-life and excellent imaging properties. In this review, we present the first analysis of patents issued for radiotracers labeled with fluorine-18 (between 2009 and 2015), and provide perspective on current trends and future directions in PET radiotracer development.