Radioligand Therapy Market Summary

• According to DelveInsight, Radioligand Therapy Market is expected to grow rapidly by 2036.
• LUTATHERA recorded more than USD 450 million in sales in the first nine months of 2023, with a growth rate of 34% year over year and Novartis believes LUTATHERA could notch more than USD 1 billion in peak sales as a first-line therapy.
• Upon approval in 2022, PLUVICTO generated full-year sales standing at USD 980 million and the PSMA-directed therapy barely missed its chance at reaching blockbuster status in its first full year.
• Leading radioligand therapies companies, such as Novartis, Curium Pharma, Lantheus, Eli Lilly and Company, Fusion Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Clarity Pharmaceuticals, Bayer, ITM Isotope Technologies, ARTBIO, Convergent Therapeutics, Perspective Therapeutics, PRECIRIX, Ariceum Therapeutic, Nuclidium, and others, are developing novel radioligand therapies that can be available in the radioligand therapies market in the coming years.

Radioligand Therapy Market Insights and Trends

• In 2018, the US FDA approved LUTATHERA (lutetium Lu 177 dotatate) and it became the first Radioligand Therapy Market Driver or radiopharmaceutical that has been approved for the treatment of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs). Then, in 2024, the FDA approved it as the first medicine specifically for pediatric patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.
• Radioligand therapy is an innovative treatment approach, which is administered through an intravenous infusion. It combines the power of radioisotopes with a target-seeking ligand to deliver radiation to cancer cells expressing a specific target, even when they have spread throughout the body. With RLT, the goal is to deliver the treatment to the target cells to damage or destroy those cells while limiting impact to surrounding cells.
• Moreover, several Radioligand Therapy is currently being evaluated in clinical trials. An example is Lilly's, Lu-PNT2002 which is in the developmental stage and is anticipated to receive approval during the forecast period.

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Factors Affecting Radioligand Therapy Market Growth

• Rising Global Cancer Burden: The increasing prevalence of cancers such as prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) is a major factor driving demand for radioligand therapies. These therapies are particularly effective in treating cancers that are difficult to manage with conventional treatments like chemotherapy or external radiation.
• Growing Demand for Targeted and Precision Oncology: Radioligand therapies deliver radioactive isotopes directly to tumor cells via specific ligands, enabling highly targeted destruction of cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissue.
• Potential of 177Lu-PNT2002 for Chemotherapy-Naïve mCRPC Patients: 177Lu-PNT2002, a late-stage PSMA-targeted radiotherapeutic candidate, is well-tolerated and holds significant potential in meeting the needs of chemotherapy-naïve mCRPC patients.
• Rising Radioligand Therapies Clinical Trial Activities: The expected launch of radioligand therapies market are expected to change in the coming years due to the launch of emerging therapies such as Novartis (177Lu-PSMA-617, 225Ac‑PSMA‑617, 177Lu-NNS309, 177Lu-NeoB, AAA614, and ESP359), Curium Pharma (177Lu-PSMA-I&T), Lantheus and Eli Lilly and Company (Lu-PNT2002 and LNTH-1095), Fusion Pharmaceuticals and AstraZeneca (FPI-2265), Clarity Pharmaceuticals (67CU SAR-BBN and 64Cu-SAR-BBN), Bayer (225Ac-PSMA-Trillium, 225Ac-Pelgifatamab, and 225Ac-GPC3), ITM Isotope Technologies (ITM-11), ARTBIO (212Pb-NG001), Convergent Therapeutics (CONV01-α), Perspective Therapeutics (VMT-α-NET, VMT01, and PSV359), PRECIRIX (CAM-FAP-Ac-225), Ariceum Therapeutics (225Ac-SSO110 and ATT001), Nuclidium (NU101 and NU201), and others.

DelveInsight’s “ Radioligand Therapy Market Size, Target Population, Competitive Landscape, and Market Forecast – 2036” report delivers an in-depth understanding of the radioligand Therapy, historical and forecasted epidemiology, competitive landscape as well as the radioligand Therapy market trends in the United States, EU4 (Germany, France, Italy, and Spain) and the United Kingdom, and Japan.

The Radioligand therapy market outlook report provides current Radioligand Therapy Market Treatment practices, emerging drugs, market share of individual Therapy, and current and forecasted 7MM radioligand therapy market size from 2022 to 2036. The Radioligand therapy market report also covers current radioligand therapy treatment practices/algorithms and unmet medical needs to curate the best opportunities and assess the Radioligand therapy market’s potential.

Radioligand Therapy Treatment Market

Radioligand therapy are a form of targeted nuclear medicine that may recognize and treat diseases such as cancer. Radioligand therapy deliver radiation to certain cancer cells that express specific targets. Radioligand therapy marks a significant advancement in precision oncology, offering a targeted approach to cancer treatment

Radioligand Therapy have 2 primary components the radioisotope and the cell-targeting compound, or ligand which are joined together by a chemical with each other. A radioisotope is a radioactive particle that releases radiation to target cells and destroys them and the targeting ligand is the one that attaches to cells that express specific targets and directs the radioisotope to cells with these targets.  

Therapeutic radioisotopes are produced in special nuclear reactors or generators, and then shipped to a production facility where the radioisotope is bonded to the cell-targeting compound. The finished product is then placed in vials, sent through quality testing, packaged into special lead-shielded containers, and shipped directly to the hospital or clinic as a ready-to-use therapy. 

The most common forms of radionuclide or radioligand therapy include XOFIGO, PLUVICTO (both for prostate cancer), and ZEVALIN (for lymphomas).

Further details related to country-based variations are provided in the report

Radioligand Therapy Market 

For Radioligand Therapy Treatment. The targeting compound part of radioligand is designed to bind specifically to proteins or receptors that are overexpressed on the surface of cancer cells. 

Radioligand therapy generally works in the following ways:

Target Identification: Researchers identify specific proteins or receptors that are overexpressed on the surface of cancer cells. These proteins serve as targets for the radioligand.

Radioligand Development: A targeting molecule (ligand) is developed or selected to bind specifically to the identified target protein or receptor. This ligand is then attached to a radioactive isotope, usually through a chemical linker.

Administration: The radioligand is administered to the patient, typically intravenously. The radioligand circulates in the bloodstream and binds to the target proteins on the surface of cancer cells.

Localization: The radioligand accumulates in the cancer cells, delivering radiation directly to the tumor sites while sparing surrounding healthy tissues.

Radiotherapy: Once localized within the cancer cells, the radioactive isotope emits radiation, which damages the DNA of the cancer cells, leading to their death.

Elimination: Any unbound radioligand is cleared from the body through urine or feces, minimizing exposure to healthy tissues.

One of the advantages of radioligand therapy is its ability to deliver high doses of radiation directly to cancer cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues, thus reducing side effects.

Recent Developments in Radioligand Therapy Clinical Trials

• In March 2026, ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE presented post-hoc subgroup analyses from the Phase 3 ITM-11 COMPETE trial involving patients with Grade 1 or Grade 2 somatostatin receptor (SSTR)-positive gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs).
• In March 2026, Lantheus Holdings, Inc. announced that the FDA had granted tentative approval to its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Lutetium Lu 177 Dotatate (PNT2003), a radioequivalent version of LUTATHERA (lutetium Lu 177 dotatate).
• In January 2026, Zonsen PepLib Biotech Inc. announced a global licensing agreement with Novartis for an undisclosed peptide-based candidate in the radioligand therapy (RLT) space. As part of the deal, Novartis has secured exclusive worldwide rights and will oversee the asset’s development and commercialization.
• In January 2026, Swiss Rockets AG and Alloy Therapeutics, Inc. entered into a Master Research Agreement (MRA) to initiate a multi-target partnership focused on the discovery and development of next-generation radioligand therapeutics (RLTs) for oncology. The collaboration will be carried out through Swiss Rockets’ radiotherapeutics subsidiary, Torpedo Pharmaceuticals AG.
• In January 2026, ARTBIO, Inc. began dosing two U.S.-based patient cohorts in the ARTISAN Phase 1 trial of AB001, an alpha radioligand therapy designed to treat metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), enrolling patients with and without prior Lu177-PSMA targeted therapy exposure.
• In November 2025, ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had completed its filing review and accepted the company’s New Drug Application (NDA) for n.c.a. 177Lu-edotreotide, also referred to as ITM-11.

Radioligand Therapy Drug Analysis

The drug chapter segment of the Radioligand therapy market reports encloses a detailed analysis of radioligand therapy marketed drugs and late-stage (Phase III and Phase II) pipeline drugs. It also helps understand the radioligand therapy clinical trial details, expressive pharmacological action, agreements and collaborations, approval and patent details, advantages and disadvantages of each included drug the latest news and press releases.

Radioligand Therapy Marketed Drugs

• LUTATHERA (lutetium LU 177 dotatate): AAA USA/Novartis

LUTATHERA is the very first therapy approved specifically for children with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs). It is now offering new hope to young patients living with this rare cancer. LUTATHERA is also approved in Europe for unresectable or metastatic, progressive, well-differentiated (G1 and G2), SSTR-positive GEP-NETs in adults, and in Japan for SSTR-positive NETs.

LUTATHERA is a radioactive drug that works by binding to a part of a cell called a somatostatin receptor, which may be present in certain tumors. After binding to the receptor, the drug enters the cell allowing radiation to cause damage to the tumor cells.

• PLUVICTO (lutetium lu-177 vipivotide tetraxetan): Novartis  

PLUVICTO is the first FDA-approved targeted radioligand therapy (RLT) for eligible patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) that combines a targeting compound (ligand) with a therapeutic radioisotope. 

The active moiety of lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan is the radionuclide lutetium-177 which is linked to a moiety that binds to PSMA, a transmembrane protein that is expressed in prostate cancer, including mCRPC. Upon binding of lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan to PSMA-expressing cells, the beta-minus emission from lutetium-177 delivers radiation to PSMA-expressing cells, as well as to surrounding cells, and induces DNA damage which can lead to cell death.