What is RLT?
Radioligand therapy (RLT) is an innovative approach to treating certain types of cancer. RLT delivers radiation to cancer cells in a targeted and precise way.1
How does RLT work?
A radioligand is made of two key parts: a ligand, which can bind to cancer cells that have a particular surface receptor, and a radioisotope, which emits therapeutic radiation. These two parts work like a lock and a key to deliver targeted radiation to tumour sites.1
Once bound, the radioligand is internalised into the tumour cell. The radiation released from the radioisotope leads to the formation of free radicals, resulting in localised DNA damage and cell death,2 with a limited effect on surrounding healthy tissue.2,3
Radioligands can be customised for diagnostic (imaging) or therapeutic (treatment) purposes simply by changing the type of radioisotope. Combining the diagnostic and treatment processes is known as theranostics.
Many different types of ligands can be used for RLT, such as small molecules, peptides and antibodies.1 When a peptide ligand is used, such as a somatostatin analogue, this therapy is often referred to as peptide receptor radionuclide therapy or PRRT. While the name is different, the process and capabilities are the same.
RLT development at Novartis
Novartis is dedicated to the development of products for targeted radioligand therapy and precision radioligand imaging. In 2002, a collaboration was established with physicist Stefano Buono, who was inspired to pursue medical applications for research conducted during his tenure at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) with Nobel laureate Carlo Rubbia.
Novartis is committed to advancing the science of radioligand therapy, with the aim of identifying enhanced detection and diagnostic approaches and developing innovative treatments that improve patient outcomes.