National calls to action for radioligand therapy

HPP collaborated with experts to identify key barriers to implementing radioligand therapy and co-developed recommendations to overcome these challenges.

Context

Radioligand therapy is a targeted treatment with huge potential to improve cancer care around the world. The approach has been proven to improve survival rates and quality of life, as well as slow disease progression, meaning it can have a significant positive impact on people living with cancer.

Radioligand therapy is currently used for treating metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and some neuroendocrine cancers. However, recognition of the potential of radioligand therapy has led to significant research and investment. There are over 320 ongoing clinical trials in various countries exploring the therapeutic application of radiopharmaceuticals in a range of cancers. Given the intense level of research, demand for radioligand therapy is expected to surge in the coming years.

Countries planning to adopt radioligand therapy will need to build readiness for its implementation, to ensure equitable access in light of the anticipated rapid increase in demand. Readiness is the ability of a health system to rapidly and sustainably adapt policies, processes and infrastructure to support the integration of new therapies, as outlined in HPP’s Radioligand Therapy Readiness Assessment Framework. This process requires establishing what challenges may be limiting a health system from effectively implementing the approach, and developing practical and evidence-based solutions to these challenges.

Project resources

Realising the potential of radioligand therapy: a national call to action

United Arab Emirates

What we’ve achieved

HPP has worked in collaboration with radioligand therapy experts in a number of countries (Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates) in which use of the treatment is at an early stage, to develop consensus-led calls to action specific to each region. The calls to action identify barriers that may be preventing national health systems from effectively implementing radioligand therapy, and provide a set of co-created recommendations for policy- and decision-makers to address these barriers.

The calls to action are based on a combination of expert interviews, workshops and desk research.

The call to action for the United Arab Emirates was launched in January 2025, with the others to follow.

Key partners and stakeholders

We would like to thank all the experts who contributed their time and expertise to this project. This project was developed with the support of the following stakeholders:

United Arab Emirates

Dr Jawaher Ansari, Chairman of Oncology, Tawam Hospital
Dr Emad Dawoud, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Tawam Hospital
Ms Saadiya Ibrahim, Supervisor of Nuclear Medicine, Tawam Hospital
Dr Hassan Jaafar, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Burjeel Hospital
Dr Khulood Jamal Bin Rafeea, Director of Drug Compliance, Department of Health Abu Dhabi
Dr Rizwan Syed, Consultant and Chair of Clinical Imaging, Sheik Shakhbout Medical City
Dr Nadia Abdul Malek Younis, Consultant for Drugs and Medical Products Regulation, Department of Health Abu Dhabi

Project funding

This project is led by HPP with guidance from a multi-stakeholder advisory group. HPP has full editorial control of all outputs and is guided by the advisory group with the aim of reflecting a consensus position. The project is supported with funding by Novartis.