Sleuth predicts surge in Western licensing of Chinese radioligand therapies by 2027

Sleuth, a biopharma intelligence platform, says that while Chinese radiopharmaceutical assets have seen few licensing deals so far, the market is set to change.

The firm notes that China now runs 45% of active nuclear medicine programs and holds a large share of preclinical and Phase 1 radioligand therapy candidates, creating a sizable pipeline.

Unlike antibody-drug conjugates where Chinese R&D has already spurred frequent Western collaborations, radioligand therapies have not yet seen comparable activity.

Sleuth forecasts that 2027 will mark a sharp rise in Western in-licensing of Chinese RLTs, driven by companies that have built or are building the isotope production and manufacturing capacity needed to support these drugs.

The outlook suggests that firms investing in RLT infrastructure now could capture value from future Chinese assets as the supply chain matures.