Radiation is a core part of cancer treatment, and has been for generations. But over the last couple of years, there’s been a surge of interest in a new type of treatment, one that is testing drug developers and health care practitioners alike.
This isn’t your grandfather’s radiation therapy: Instead of propelling external beams of radiation toward the general part of the body infested with cancer tumors, pharmaceutical companies, biotech investors, and scientists are focusing their efforts on therapies that more precisely target the cancerous cells. These medicines, called radiopharmaceuticals or radioligand therapies, fuse radioactive isotopes with a targeting component that will guide the compound to cancer cells like a missile, ideally obliterating the diseased cells and leaving the surrounding area relatively unscathed.
More than a dozen startups working on these kinds of treatments have launched over the last five years. Four have been snapped up by pharmaceutical giants in deals worth $1 billion or more. Jefferies analysts estimate that there will be more activity 2025.
This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers
Unlock this article — plus daily coverage and analysis of the biotech sector — by subscribing to STAT+.
Already have an account? Log in