GE HealthCare has announced its pivotal role in Thera4Care, a €25.3 million initiative designed to transform the use of theranostics and enhance patient access across Europe. This project unites 29 partners, including leading European academic institutions, clinical sites, small and medium-sized enterprises, and patient advocacy groups.
Cancer remains the leading cause of death globally, responsible for nearly ten million fatalities in 2022. By 2050, the number of new cancer cases is projected to rise to 35 million due to population growth and aging. Theranostics offers a breakthrough approach to cancer treatment by integrating imaging diagnostics with targeted therapies, enabling personalized care. This method employs molecular imaging technologies to visualize tumor receptors and, when present, deliver a radioactive drug specifically targeting tumor cells.
While theranostics is currently used to treat certain late-stage prostate and neuroendocrine cancers, its availability is limited to specialized centers. There is an urgent need for innovative radiotheranostics to broaden clinical applications and improve access in community settings.
The Thera4Care project aims to increase the use of theranostics in Europe by creating, implementing, and disseminating standardized methods for producing, detecting, and monitoring essential theranostic isotopes. This includes the entire process from manufacturing and early diagnostics to therapy. The project will enhance the adoption of radiology-based diagnostics and therapies, focusing on diseases such as prostate, ovarian, pancreatic cancers, and sarcomas, while promoting the importance of multi-modal radiotheranostic solutions. GE HealthCare’s technology supports this pathway, utilizing cyclotrons, PET and SPECT imaging scanners, advanced visualization tools, digital solutions, and consulting services.
“We are excited to take a leading role in Thera4Care, collaborating with academic and industry partners to advance connected, personalized, and compassionate cancer care,” stated Dr. Ben Newton, GE HealthCare’s general manager for Oncology Solutions. “Our joint efforts aim to enhance healthcare system readiness for the rapidly evolving field of precision medicine.”
Thera4Care unites partners from 14 European countries and the United States. Key academic collaborators include Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore & Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS (Italy), Erasmus University (Netherlands), Jules Bordet Institute (Belgium), UniKlinik Essen (Germany), Gregorio Maranon General University Hospital (Spain), and Institut de Cancérologie de l’Ouest (France).
The project is co-funded under the Horizon Europe framework as part of the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI), a public-private partnership between the European Union and the life sciences industry. The Joint Undertaking (IHI JU) operates under grant agreement #101172788, receiving support from the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program and various contributing partners. The grant agreement was signed on October 1, 2024, and will last for five years. For more information, please visit the IHI website or the Thera4Care project page.
To discover more about GE HealthCare’s theranostics solutions, visit gehealthcare.com or check out the company’s booth (Booth H20, Level 0) at the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) Congress in Hamburg, Germany, from October 19-23.
