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Radioligand Therapy Market

The market for Radioligand Therapy was estimated at $3.2 billion in 2025; it is anticipated to increase to $6.0 billion by 2030, with projections indicating growth to around $11.3 billion by 2035.

Report ID:DS1802698
Author:Debadatta Patel - Senior Consultant
Published Date:
Datatree
Life Science
Pharmaceutical
Radioligand Therapy
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Market Data
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Table of Contents

Global Radioligand Therapy Market Outlook

Revenue, 2025

$3.2B

Forecast, 2035

$11.3B

CAGR, 2026 - 2035

13.4%

The Radioligand Therapy industry revenue is expected to be around $3.2 billion in 2026 and expected to showcase growth with 13.4% CAGR between 2026 and 2035. This trajectory elevates radioligand therapy as a cornerstone of precision oncology, reflecting its rising clinical adoption and strategic importance across the global cancer care continuum. Demand is driven primarily by high burden indications such as prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors, which together account for 89.9% of industry revenue and illustrate the therapys pivotal role in late stage and treatment resistant disease segments. Strong performance of leading agents, particularly Pluvicto, which generated $1.52 billion in sales in 2025, demonstrates robust payer acceptance, growing physician confidence, and expansion of eligible patient populations.

Radioligand therapy combines a tumor seeking ligand with a therapeutic radioisotope to selectively deliver cytotoxic radiation to malignant cells while sparing surrounding healthy tissues, positioning it as a differentiated targeted cancer modality within modern theranostics. Key features include molecularly targeted delivery, the ability to pair functional imaging with treatment selection, and flexibility for use as monotherapy or in combination with surgery, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy. Major applications are currently concentrated in prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors, while clinical development pipelines extend into additional solid and hematologic malignancies as biomarker driven patient selection matures. Recent trends driving demand include earlier line adoption in treatment algorithms, development of next generation alpha emitting constructs, scaling of radionuclide production and manufacturing infrastructure, and deeper integration of radioligand therapy into multidisciplinary oncology care pathways as a core component of personalized medicine.

Radioligand Therapy market outlook with forecast trends, drivers, opportunities, supply chain, and competition 2025-2035
Radioligand Therapy Market Outlook

Market Key Insights

  • The Radioligand Therapy market is projected to grow from $3.2 billion in 2025 to $11.3 billion in 2035. This represents a CAGR of 13.4%, reflecting rising demand across Comprehensive Cancer Centers, Nuclear Medicine Centers, and Academic Medical Centers.

  • Novartis AG, Telix Pharmaceuticals, and Curium US are among the leading players in this market, shaping its competitive landscape.

  • U.S. and Germany are the top markets within the Radioligand Therapy market and are expected to observe the growth CAGR of 12.1% to 16.1% between 2025 and 2030.

  • Emerging markets including India, Brazil and South Korea are expected to observe highest growth with CAGR ranging between 9.4% to 14.1%.

  • Transition like Shift Toward Theranostic Care is expected to add $733 million to the Radioligand Therapy market growth by 2030.

  • The Radioligand Therapy market is set to add $8.1 billion between 2025 and 2035, with manufacturer targeting Specialized Nuclear Medicine Centers & Other Application projected to gain a larger market share.

  • With

    expanding prostate cancer incidence and rising adoption of precision oncology theranostic platforms, and

    Advancements in targeted alpha therapy radioisotopes improving efficacy and safety profiles, Radioligand Therapy market to expand 252% between 2025 and 2035.

radioligand therapy market size with pie charts of major and emerging country share, CAGR, trends for 2025 and 2032
Radioligand Therapy - Country Share Analysis

Opportunities in the Radioligand Therapy

Europes aging male population and rising metastatic prostate cancer burden are creating strong latent demand and reimbursement pull for radioligand therapy beyond current late line use. Pluvicto, a lutetium 177 prostate cancer radioligand treatment, generated $1.52 billion globally in 2025 and is also projected to reach $3.14 billion by 2030. The fastest growth is expected in Western and Northern Europe, where expanding nuclear medicine capacity and structured urology oncology referral networks will accelerate targeted radionuclide therapy adoption.

Growth Opportunities in North America and Europe

In North America, radioligand therapy is most strongly anchored in prostate cancer, where a high burden of advanced disease and rapid adoption of precision oncology create headroom for targeted radionuclide therapy expansion into earlier treatment lines and combination regimens; neuroendocrine tumors remain an important but smaller segment, while SCLC and other indications are emerging niches that can be cultivated through focused clinical development and real world evidence generation. Competitive intensity is elevated, with global innovators, specialty radiopharmacies, and contract manufacturing organizations racing to secure lutetium 177 supply, build theranostic radiopharmaceuticals portfolios, and lock in long term agreements with leading cancer centers and integrated delivery networks. Key regional drivers include strong nuclear medicine infrastructure, favorable guideline inclusion for select indications, maturing reimbursement pathways for outpatient radioligand services, and a dense cluster of academic research sites that support label expansions and lifecycle management, making targeted investments in isotope production capacity, distribution logistics, and urology oncology referral pathways the most impactful levers for sustained market share gains.
In Europe, radioligand therapy shows a more balanced indication mix, with prostate cancer emerging as the most commercially relevant segment while neuroendocrine tumors maintain historically strong clinical uptake in several Western and Northern European markets, creating a dual focus platform for product positioning and clinical differentiation. Competition is shaped by pan European radiopharmacy networks, regional radiopharmaceutical manufacturers, and hospital based nuclear medicine units that increasingly seek partnerships for theranostic radiopharmaceuticals, driving pressures on pricing but also enabling broader geographic coverage through centralized lutetium 177 production and country specific distribution hubs. Key drivers include supportive policy frameworks for personalized medicine, robust health technology assessment processes that reward demonstrable survival and quality of life benefits, and well established nuclear medicine infrastructure in major markets, which collectively open strategic opportunities to prioritize early access and reimbursement dossiers in high value countries, develop indication tailored evidence packages for prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors, and invest in cross border treatment centers that can efficiently serve patients from markets with limited local capacity in targeted radionuclide therapy.

Market Dynamics and Supply Chain

01

Driver: Expanding prostate cancer incidence and rising adoption of precision oncology theranostic platforms

The growing global burden of prostate cancer, including metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer, is also directly accelerating demand for radioligand therapy as health systems prioritize treatments that extend survival while preserving quality of life. Ageing populations, improved screening, and better molecular imaging are also uncovering higher numbers of eligible patients, particularly those suited for PSMA targeted therapy in advanced disease stages. In parallel, the rapid integration of precision oncology and theranostics within nuclear medicine is also creating a favorable ecosystem for radioligand therapy adoption. Positron Emission Tomography CT imaging linked with diagnostic tracers allows highly accurate patient selection and response monitoring, strengthening the case for lutetium 177 based agents and peptide receptor radionuclide therapy within standardized care pathways. This convergence of epidemiological pressure and technology enabled personalization is also reinforcing radioligand therapy as a core modality in next generation oncology treatment algorithms, especially in specialized cancer centers and academic hospitals.
Breakthroughs in targeted alpha therapy radioisotopes are also emerging as a critical for radioligand therapy market expansion, as developers refine isotopes and chelators to deliver potent, short range cytotoxicity with minimal off target damage. Novel alpha emitting constructs are also addressing limitations seen with some beta emitters, particularly in micrometastatic disease and radioresistant tumors, improving therapeutic windows and durability of response. As clinical pipelines mature and manufacturing technologies for advanced radioisotopes become more scalable and reliable, oncologists are also increasingly viewing alpha based radioligand therapy as a strategic complement to immunotherapy and chemotherapy, supporting broader guideline inclusion and payer acceptance.
02

Restraint: Limited radioisotope production capacity and fragile supply chains constraining global radioligand therapy treatment availability

Chronic shortages of key medical radioisotopes and constrained GMP manufacturing capacity force hospitals to delay or cancel radioligand therapy cycles, directly suppressing realized revenue and flattening volume growth as providers cannot reliably schedule targeted radiopharmaceuticals for precision oncology; for example, unplanned shutdowns at isotope reactors have led to missed treatment windows in neuroendocrine tumors, prompting some centers to defer investments in new facilities and theranostic programs, which in turn softens long term demand signals and discourages manufacturers from expanding supply, reinforcing a conservative market dynamic rather than an aggressive expansion trajectory
03

Opportunity: Neuroendocrine tumor radioligand therapy uptake is accelerating across Asia Pacific oncology hubs and Alpha emitting radioligand therapy opportunities are expanding in major United States networks

Asia Pacific remains underpenetrated for radioligand therapy in neuroendocrine tumor management, despite rapidly rising incidence and better imaging. Lutathera captured about $0.92 billion globally in 2025 and is forecast to reach $1.65 billion by 2030, with an increasing share from China, India, and Southeast Asia. Growth will be strongest in tertiary oncology centers that build government supported theranostic pathways, combining advanced gallium based PET diagnostics with lutetium 177 treatment protocols and multidisciplinary boards to support consistent precision oncology decisions.
The United States market is poised for rapid uptake of alpha emitting radiopharmaceuticals, extending radioligand therapy beyond bone metastatic prostate cancer. Xofigo generated roughly $0.33 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach $0.47 billion by 2030, while the Others segment such as should rise from $0.45 to $0.76 billion, reflecting pipeline depth. The most dynamic expansion will come from next generation targeted radionuclide therapy platforms in large national cancer networks serving particularly high risk, treatment resistant patients.
04

Challenge: High treatment costs and inconsistent reimbursement policies restricting patient access to advanced radioligand therapy options

Premium pricing for radioligand therapy, combined with fragmented healthcare reimbursement frameworks across regions, narrows the eligible treated population and caps revenue potential even where clinical evidence is strong, as payers often limit coverage to late line indications in prostate cancer treatment or impose prior authorization barriers, leading to under utilization, slower adoption curves, and heightened price sensitivity among providers, which collectively dampens market penetration, shifts demand toward alternative targeted radiotherapies, and prolongs negotiation cycles before new indications or products can achieve scalable commercial uptake.

Supply Chain Landscape

1

Isotope Production

Curium US LLCNovartis AG
2

Radiopharmaceutical R&D

Eli Lilly and CompanyAriceum Therapeutics
3

Radioligand Therapy Manufacturing

Novartis AGTelix Pharmaceuticals
4

Clinical Theranostic Oncology

Nuclear medicine centersTargeted radiotherapy clinics
Radioligand Therapy - Supply Chain

Use Cases of Radioligand Therapy in Comprehensive Cancer Centers & Academic Medical Centers

Comprehensive Cancer Centers : Comprehensive cancer centers act as primary hubs for radioligand therapy across high burden indications, integrating PSMA targeted and somatostatin receptor targeted Lutetium-177 based therapies into multidisciplinary care pathways for metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer and gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. These centers drive the majority of demand for approved agents such as Novartis AGs Pluvicto and Lutathera, which together dominate the market for prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors , with Pluvicto alone accounting for about 47.2% of global radioligand therapy demand. Novartis AG holds a clear leadership position in this end user segment through its broad clinical evidence base and global supply chain, while Eli Lilly and Company is rapidly strengthening its role via acquisition led radiopharmaceutical pipelines that target similar PSMA and SSTR pathways, positioning these firms as preferred partners for large integrated oncology networks.
Nuclear Medicine Centers : Nuclear medicine centers specialize in the operational delivery of radioligand therapy, focusing on theranostic radiopharmaceuticals and personalized dosimetry to optimise outcomes in neuroendocrine tumors, bone metastases, and an emerging patient pool with small cell lung cancer, which is expected to reach about $0.10 billion in 2025 with a projected 12.87% CAGR to 2030. These centers are key sites for administering Lutathera and Xofigo, which together represent a significant share of demand , as well as for piloting alpha emitting radiopharmaceuticals that extend precision oncology approaches beyond traditional beta emitters. Curium US LLC leverages its extensive nuclear medicine distribution network to supply diagnostic and therapeutic radioisotopes, Telix Pharmaceuticals builds strong positioning through integrated imaging to therapy theranostic platforms, and Ariceum Therapeutics differentiates itself with somatostatin receptor targeted programs, collectively making these companies indispensable partners for high throughput nuclear medicine centers.
Academic Medical Centers : Academic medical centers serve as innovation hubs for radioligand therapy, leading early phase and pivotal clinical trials that expand indications beyond prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors into harder to treat malignancies such as small cell lung cancer and selected hematologic or pediatric tumors. These institutions are typically first adopters of novel PSMA targeted constructs, next generation SSTR ligands, and combination regimens that align radioligand therapy with immuno oncology or DNA damage response agents, thereby shaping future standards of care and de risking late stage pipelines. Novartis AG, Eli Lilly and Company, Telix Pharmaceuticals, and Ariceum Therapeutics all maintain strong collaborative trial networks with academic hospitals, using robust data generation, scientific leadership, and access to diverse patient cohorts to secure favourable positioning in forthcoming regulatory approvals and long term market share.

Recent Developments

Radioligand therapy is entering a pivotal growth phase, driven by expanding applications in prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors, as well as next generation theranostics platforms that integrate precision imaging and targeted radionuclide delivery. Recent collaborations between pharma and nuclear medicine providers are strengthening global radiopharmaceutical supply chains and advanced radiolabeling technologies. A key trend is the move toward personalized oncology, where molecular imaging guides patient selection and dosing, improving clinical outcomes and health economics.

March 2024 : Novartis AG obtained expanded US FDA approval for its PSMA targeted Pluvicto radioligand therapy for earlier line treatment of PSMA positive metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer, materially enlarging the eligible patient pool and driving higher global demand for radiopharmaceutical supply, advanced prostate cancer treatment options, and precision oncology infrastructure
October 2023 : Eli Lilly and Company announced a definitive agreement to acquire POINT Biopharma Global Inc., a developer of lutetium 177 based radioligand therapy candidates for prostate and neuroendocrine tumors, marking a strategic entry into the radioligand therapy market that is expected to intensify competition, spur new partnerships, and accelerate late stage theranostics development

Impact of Industry Transitions on the Radioligand Therapy Market

As a core segment of the Pharmaceutical industry, the Radioligand Therapy market develops in line with broader industry shifts. Over recent years, transitions such as Shift Toward Theranostic Care and Convergence Of Supply And Tech have redefined priorities across the Pharmaceutical sector, influencing how the Radioligand Therapy market evolves in terms of demand, applications and competitive dynamics. These transitions highlight the structural changes shaping long-term growth opportunities.
01

Shift Toward Theranostic Care

The transition towards integrated theranostic care in the Radioligand Therapy market is poised to generate an additional $733 million in growth by 2030. This shift is prompting diagnostic imaging providers to enhance PET/CT capabilities and develop innovative tracers, while also necessitating the formation of multidisciplinary tumor boards that align with precision oncology workflows. Concurrently, radiopharmaceutical manufacturers are optimizing production lines for targeted therapies, focusing on short half life isotopes and agile batch releases to meet rising demand. Additionally, pathology and genomics laboratories are advancing companion diagnostic panels to effectively stratify patients for prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumor treatments. This comprehensive evolution underscores the markets strategic pivot towards a more personalized and efficient oncology landscape.
02

Convergence Of Supply And Tech

To support scalable radioligand therapy, the industry is transitioning from fragmented isotope sourcing to vertically coordinated supply and digital operations. Nuclear medicine departments now rely on real time production data, automated dose management, and predictive maintenance tools that reduce downtime across precision oncology networks. This shift is pushing logistics providers to specialize in time critical cold chain services and compliant radioactive waste handling. Equipment manufacturers are embedding theranostic workflows into imaging systems, while contract development and manufacturing organizations expand targeted radiopharmaceuticals capabilities to secure resilient access for prostate cancer treatment centers.