Downloadable documents

RLT Policy Recommendation event

Policy recommendations

Prioritising scientific innovation and development

RECOMMENDATION 1

To drive innovation in Radioligand Therapies (RLTs), it is essential to secure private and public funding for academic and pre-clinical research to bridge the current gap between research and clinical practice, facilitating the translation of new therapies into cancer care.
At the same time, initiatives such as the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) can support building public-private partnerships on RLTs, potentially through targeted topic funding.

RECOMMENDATION 2

To accelerate development in targeted cancer treatments, researchers must be provided with the necessary resources. Sustained financial support is essential to expand esearch into new medical isotopes.
This should involve targeted and ongoing funding from the EU’s Cancer Mission and the EU Research and Innovation Framework Programmes (i.e. Horizon).

RECOMMENDATION 3
To ensure scientific advancement in integrating RLTs into cancer care it is urgent to financially reinforce and incentivise the reliable supply of radioactive isotopes and ligands.
A robust and dynamic EU infrastructure which guarantees the availability of research materials can enable faster development of new therapeutic applications of RLTs.

RECOMMENDATION 4
By supporting the creation of personalised and innovative patient pathways, RLTs can be better integrated into enhancing accessibility and treatment options for cancer patients from an early stage to follow-up care. In this sense, increasing the number of accredited RLTs centres is necessary to ensure that patients receive the most effective and safe available treatment.

Prioritising scientific innovation and development

RECOMMENDATION 5

Recognising the clinical interest and potential benefits of RLTs is critical. To do so, educating and training healthcare professionals on RLTs to further expand this novel therapy across the European Union (EU) should be a main policy priority as it ensures that the European workforce is at the forefront of cancer care innovation.

RLT workforce should be considered and included in any future comprehensive approach to the healthcare workforce developed by the European Commission.

RECOMMENDATION 6

Cancer is a disease with multiple variations, stages, and prognoses.
Shaping educational programs to include comprehensive RLT training for healthcare providers can boost the integration of RLTs into the national healthcare systems, improving patient outcomes and quality of life.

RECOMMENDATION 7

Strengthen implementation science in the field of RLTs. Real-world evidence can provide valuable feedback loops to various elements of healthcare systems as it can support the refinement of practices and guidelines based on the latest scientific data. This process serves in assessing the opportunities and needs of each cancer patient, including their treatment with RLTs.

At the same time, real-world monitoring systems should be considered to better understand the European workforce landscape active on RLTs and to assist with training and planning.

RECOMMENDATION 8

The development and dissemination of both written and online guidelines to ensure the highest level of quality in the implementation of RLTs for healthcare professionals is critical.
Certified accreditation system should be placed to standardise and measure the level of expertise of healthcare providers specialised in RLTs.

Integrating RLTs across policies

RECOMMENDATION 9

The current European legal frameworks that govern RLTs are fragmented across different texts and levels. This impacts all sectors – as the frameworks do not adequately reflect the realities in the healthcare setting.
Misalignment and unclarity in the EU legislation ultimately delay patients’ access to RLTs. As such, ensuring that national and European regulations are harmonised, and standardisation is promoted across regions is critical.
Additionally, to bring promising therapies, such as RLTs, regulatory bodies should faster assess medicines and expedite approvals.

As RLTs demand will grow exponentially in the upcoming decade, RLTs must be integrated into National Cancer Plans to offer patients the best therapy available.
RLTs should be recognised as a key component in each of the Member States’ cancer plans, emphasising the importance of comprehensive cancer care strategies.
The running implementation of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan should also reflect on the availability and use of RLTs across Europe. Increased RLTs availability should be addressed through the EU Critical Medicines List and the Joint Clinical Assessments from the Health Assessment Regulation, in which RLTs should benefit from specific workstreams for Radiopharmaceuticals.

RECOMMENDATION 11

To ensure the financial feasibility of RLTs for patients and healthcare providers and with the aim of their full integration into national healthcare systems, reimbursement-independent bodies specifically responsible for radiopharmaceuticals must be created.

RECOMMENDATION 12

To advance and ensure the integration of innovative therapies such as RLTs within the healthcare community, it is
indispensable to disseminate innovative cancer research findings and treatment methodologies for new therapies.

To do so, targeted educational initiatives, interdisciplinary collaborations, and the utilisation of digital platforms, such as the European Health Data Space (EHDS), are key to ensuring widespread awareness and adoption of RLTs across healthcare policies.