# Radiopharmaceuticals & Theranostics

Source: https://onco.cc/fronts/radiopharma/  
OnCo record `radiopharma` (Front). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

A molecule that homes to the tumour carries a radioactive atom. The same molecule with a different atom lets you see the tumour first.

## Summary

Radiopharmaceuticals and theranostics pair a molecule that homes to the tumour with a radioactive atom, using one isotope to see the tumour and another to treat it. The section covers theranostic pairs such as 68Ga or 18F for PET imaging, 177Lu for beta therapy and 225Ac or 212Pb for alpha therapy, directed at PSMA, SSTR, FAP and other targets. Pluvicto and Lutathera are approved, alpha emitters and new targets are in late-stage trials, and isotope supply is the bottleneck. Linked technologies include PSMA PET, somatostatin receptor PET, radioligand therapy with beta emitters, targeted alpha therapy, PRRT, radioiodine therapy, MIBG theranostics and radioembolisation, and the companies Curium, Blue Earth Diagnostics, Sirtex Medical and Y-mAbs Therapeutics point here.

## Fields

- Kind: Front
- Last checked: 2026-09-04

## Sources

- NCI: Dictionary of Cancer Terms: radiopharmaceutical: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/radiopharmaceutical

## Connected records

- journals: [Cancer biotherapy & radiopharmaceuticals](https://onco.cc/journals/cancer-biotherapy-and-radiopharmaceuticals/)
- companies: [Abdera Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/abdera-therapeutics/), [Actinium Pharmaceuticals](https://onco.cc/companies/actinium-pharmaceuticals/), [Advanced Accelerator Applications (Novartis)](https://onco.cc/companies/advanced-accelerator-applications/), [Aktis Oncology](https://onco.cc/companies/aktis-oncology/), [Alpha Tau Medical](https://onco.cc/companies/alpha-tau-medical/), [Alpha-9 Oncology](https://onco.cc/companies/alpha-9-oncology/), [ANZUP Cancer Trials Group](https://onco.cc/companies/anzup/), [Ariceum Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/ariceum-therapeutics/), [ARTBIO](https://onco.cc/companies/artbio/), [AstraZeneca](https://onco.cc/companies/astrazeneca/), [Atomic Alchemy](https://onco.cc/companies/atomic-alchemy/), [Bayer](https://onco.cc/companies/bayer/), [Blue Earth Diagnostics (Bracco)](https://onco.cc/companies/blue-earth-diagnostics/), [Bristol Myers Squibb](https://onco.cc/companies/bms/), [Cardinal Health Nuclear & Precision Health Solutions](https://onco.cc/companies/cardinal-health/), [Cellectar Biosciences](https://onco.cc/companies/cellectar/), [Clarity Pharmaceuticals](https://onco.cc/companies/clarity-pharmaceuticals/), [Comecer (ATS)](https://onco.cc/companies/comecer/), [Convergent Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/convergent-therapeutics/), [Curium](https://onco.cc/companies/curium/), [Eckert & Ziegler](https://onco.cc/companies/eckert-ziegler/), [Evergreen Theragnostics](https://onco.cc/companies/evergreen-theragnostics/), [Fusion Pharmaceuticals (AstraZeneca)](https://onco.cc/companies/fusion-pharma/), [FutureChem](https://onco.cc/companies/futurechem/), [ITM Isotope Technologies Munich](https://onco.cc/companies/itm/), [Jubilant Radiopharma](https://onco.cc/companies/jubilant-radiopharma/), [Lantheus](https://onco.cc/companies/lantheus/), [Mariana Oncology](https://onco.cc/companies/mariana-oncology/), [Mediso](https://onco.cc/companies/mediso/), [Monopar Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/monopar/), [NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes](https://onco.cc/companies/northstar-medical-radioisotopes/), [Novartis](https://onco.cc/companies/novartis/), [Nucleus RadioPharma](https://onco.cc/companies/nucleus-radiopharma/), [Orano Med](https://onco.cc/companies/orano-med/), [Perspective Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/perspective-therapeutics/), [PETNET Solutions (Siemens Healthineers)](https://onco.cc/companies/petnet-solutions/), [POINT Biopharma](https://onco.cc/companies/point-biopharma/), [Precirix](https://onco.cc/companies/precirix/), [RadioMedix](https://onco.cc/companies/radiomedix/), [Radionetics Oncology](https://onco.cc/companies/radionetics-oncology/), [Ratio Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/ratio-therapeutics/), [RayzeBio (BMS)](https://onco.cc/companies/rayzebio/), [SHINE Technologies](https://onco.cc/companies/shine-technologies/), [Sinotau Pharmaceutical](https://onco.cc/companies/sinotau-pharmaceutical/), [Sirtex Medical](https://onco.cc/companies/sirtex/), [SOFIE Biosciences](https://onco.cc/companies/sofie-biosciences/), [Sumitomo Heavy Industries](https://onco.cc/companies/sumitomo-heavy-industries/), [Telix Pharmaceuticals](https://onco.cc/companies/telix/), [TerraPower Isotopes](https://onco.cc/companies/terrapower-isotopes/), [Trasis](https://onco.cc/companies/trasis/), [Y-mAbs Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/y-mabs/)
- technologies: [Actinium-225 supply: thorium stocks, accelerators and radium targets](https://onco.cc/technologies/actinium-225-supply/), [Alpha-emitter nanogenerators and daughter trapping](https://onco.cc/technologies/alpha-nanogenerators/), [Astatine-211 alpha therapy](https://onco.cc/technologies/astatine-211-alpha-therapy/), [Auger-electron therapy](https://onco.cc/technologies/auger-electron-therapy/), [Cyclotron isotope production (F-18, Ga-68, Cu-64, Zr-89, At-211)](https://onco.cc/technologies/cyclotron-isotope-production/), [Gamma probes, handheld gamma cameras and dose calibrators](https://onco.cc/technologies/gamma-probes-dose-calibrators/), [Lutetium-177 radioligand therapy](https://onco.cc/technologies/lu177-radioligand-therapy/), [Medical cyclotrons, hot cells, and synthesis modules](https://onco.cc/technologies/medical-cyclotrons-synthesis-modules/), [MIBG imaging and 131I-MIBG therapy](https://onco.cc/technologies/mibg-theranostics/), [Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT)](https://onco.cc/technologies/prrt/), [PET tracer manufacturing and distribution](https://onco.cc/technologies/pet-tracer-manufacturing/), [PSMA PET](https://onco.cc/technologies/psma-pet/), [Radio-antibody & radio-ADC](https://onco.cc/technologies/radioimmunotherapy/), [Radioembolisation (TARE / SIRT, yttrium-90)](https://onco.cc/technologies/radioembolisation-tare/), [Radioiodine therapy and whole-body iodine scanning](https://onco.cc/technologies/radioiodine-therapy/), [Radioligand dosimetry](https://onco.cc/technologies/radioligand-dosimetry/), [Radioligand plus DNA-repair inhibitor combinations](https://onco.cc/technologies/radionuclide-parp-combination/), [Radioligand therapy (beta emitters)](https://onco.cc/technologies/radioligand-therapy/), [Radionuclide generators and cold kits](https://onco.cc/technologies/radionuclide-generators-kits/), [Radiopharmaceutical GMP and releasing a drug that decays](https://onco.cc/technologies/radiopharmaceutical-gmp-release/), [Radiopharmacy and cyclotron networks](https://onco.cc/technologies/radiopharmacy-network/), [Research reactors for medical isotopes (Mo-99, Lu-177, I-131)](https://onco.cc/technologies/research-reactor-isotope-production/), [Somatostatin receptor PET (68Ga/64Cu-DOTATATE)](https://onco.cc/technologies/sstr-pet/), [SPECT/CT](https://onco.cc/technologies/spect-ct/), [Targeted alpha therapy](https://onco.cc/technologies/targeted-alpha-therapy/), [Therapeutic isotope supply chain (Mo-99, Lu-177, Ac-225)](https://onco.cc/technologies/therapy-isotope-supply-chain/)
- roadmaps: [Prostate cancer roadmap: from Huggins and the discovery that a cancer can depend on a hormone, through the PSA epidemic and what it cost, the androgen receptor drugs, the DNA repair subset and PSMA, to a 2032 registry watch](https://onco.cc/roadmaps/prostate-roadmap/), [Radiopharmaceutical roadmap: iodine → lutetium → actinium](https://onco.cc/roadmaps/radiopharma-roadmap/)
- ideas: [Randomise the order of treatment, not only the drugs: a strategy platform for metastatic prostate cancer](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-prostate-randomise-the-sequence-not-only-the-drugs/)
- terms: [Gray unit (Gy)](https://onco.cc/terms/gray-unit/), [Liver-directed therapy (TACE, TARE, HAI, ablation)](https://onco.cc/terms/liver-directed-therapy/), [PRRT (peptide receptor radionuclide therapy)](https://onco.cc/terms/prrt-term/), [Radioiodine therapy (I-131)](https://onco.cc/terms/radioiodine-term/), [TARE / SIRT (radioembolisation with yttrium-90)](https://onco.cc/terms/tare/)
- institutions: [All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi](https://onco.cc/institutions/aiims-delhi/), [Chulabhorn Hospital / Chulabhorn Royal Academy](https://onco.cc/institutions/chulabhorn-hospital/), [Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi](https://onco.cc/institutions/cleveland-clinic-abu-dhabi/), [Erasmus MC Cancer Institute](https://onco.cc/institutions/erasmus-mc/), [European Association of Nuclear Medicine](https://onco.cc/institutions/eanm/), [Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa](https://onco.cc/institutions/iowa-holden/), [Inselspital, Bern University Hospital / University Cancer Center Inselspital](https://onco.cc/institutions/inselspital-bern/), [International Atomic Energy Agency: Rays of Hope](https://onco.cc/institutions/iaea/), [IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori 'Dino Amadori' (IRST)](https://onco.cc/institutions/irst-meldola/), [Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital](https://onco.cc/institutions/oslo-radium-hospital/), [Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh](https://onco.cc/institutions/pgimer-chandigarh/), [Purdue Institute for Cancer Research](https://onco.cc/institutions/purdue-cancer-research/), [QST Hospital (National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology)](https://onco.cc/institutions/qst-hospital/), [Sahlgrenska University Hospital / Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research](https://onco.cc/institutions/sahlgrenska/), [Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging](https://onco.cc/institutions/snmmi/), [TUM Klinikum rechts der Isar / CCC München](https://onco.cc/institutions/tum-munich/), [University Hospital Basel / Tumour Centre](https://onco.cc/institutions/usb-basel/), [University Hospital Düsseldorf / CIO Düsseldorf](https://onco.cc/institutions/uk-duesseldorf/), [Uppsala University Hospital / Uppsala University](https://onco.cc/institutions/uppsala-akademiska/), [West German Cancer Center (WTZ), University Hospital Essen](https://onco.cc/institutions/essen-wtz/)

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