Case study: Radioligand therapy

Radioligand therapy is an innovative type of targeted cancer treatment. It is currently approved for use in a limited number of cancer types, but has potential for much broader application across different cancer types. It may provide an important treatment option for people with rare or advanced cancers, in particular. As it involves radiation, its implementation requires collaboration between oncology and nuclear medicine specialists, and broader awareness from referring clinicians. Public and policy-level buy-in are vital to ensure radioligand therapy is accepted and integrated into routine cancer care.

HPP was commissioned to research and communicate the potential benefits of radioligand therapy, to raise awareness among policymakers and the wider cancer community. We developed a policy report in collaboration with an expert steering committee, which was launched at the European Parliament in January 2020 – the first ever European-level policy meeting on this topic. We also produced a summary infographic which was translated into four languages, and an animated video to explain the therapy to uninitiated audiences. We later worked with an International Advisory Group to develop a framework to assess health system readiness for radioligand therapy, and to apply this framework in the UK and US.

To disseminate this work, HPP set up a dedicated radioligand therapy website and Twitter account. We made successful submissions to various conferences and publications, with posters at a number of European and international events, and articles in leading peer-reviewed journals. The Radioligand Therapy Readiness Assessment Framework was launched at online events for the US and UK. We developed a ‘user guide’ to allow other researchers to apply the framework in their countries, and we are currently supporting a South Korean research partner to do so, with further applications planned in Asia and Europe. The project’s success is reflected in the commitment of the International Advisory Group members, who have remained fully engaged for over three years and continue to work with us in this area.