Siemens Healthineers China and Novartis Announce Strategic Collaboration to Advance Radioligand Therapy and Molecular Imaging for Precision Oncology

On November 6, at the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE), Siemens Healthineers China and Novartis signed a strategic cooperation agreement. Both parties will fully leverage their respective expertise and technological advantages to promote the innovative development and widespread application of Radioligand Therapy (hereinafter referred to as "RLT") and molecular imaging systems in the field of precision diagnosis and treatment integration for critical illnesses such as prostate cancer.

According to the strategic agreement, Siemens Healthineers will continue to deepen multidisciplinary cooperation with Novartis, jointly exploring the future development of molecular imaging and RLT integrated diagnosis-treatment systems. This includes analyzing and optimizing the charging pathways for integrated diagnosis-treatment solutions and promoting their widespread clinical application; cooperating to establish a "gold standard" for integrated diagnosis-treatment, improving the entire process from patient screening, diagnosis, treatment rationality, treatment monitoring to central surgical management; both parties will also promote the implementation of pilot projects for integrated diagnosis-treatment centers that meet the "gold standard."

Wang Hao, President of Siemens Healthineers Greater China, stated: "Fearless against cancer, providing the most cutting-edge innovative solutions from diagnosis to treatment has always been one of the missions of Siemens Healthineers and its subsidiary Varian Medical. This strategic cooperation with Novartis is a typical example of Siemens Healthineers' commitment to deeply integrating global innovative intelligence into local practices in China. The integration of diagnosis and treatment closely combines in vivo radiotherapy and imaging tracking for cancer, offering targeted and precise adaptability, and holds tremendous clinical potential as one of the most promising cancer treatment technologies. This collaboration aims to bring this technology to fruition as soon as possible and benefit more patients in China."

Leo Li, President and Managing Director of Novartis China, introduced that Novartis has always been committed to joint innovation across multiple industries and the entire chain, continuously expanding the development of radioligand therapy in China. As early as 2021, the company brought it to the CIIE booth for the first time, completing its "debut" in the Chinese market. Since then, Novartis has begun extensive cooperation with medical institutions and industry partners to promote the ecological construction of radioligand therapy. This collaboration with Siemens Healthineers will promote the coordinated development of radioligand therapy and molecular imaging technology.

From the perspective of industry trends, technological advancements are driving a shift in the medical paradigm from "one-size-fits-all" to "personalized solutions for every individual." At the core of this transformation is the development of highly precise and individually adaptive diagnostic and treatment plans tailored for each patient. Radioligand therapy is increasingly demonstrating the potential to transform clinical practice in the field of targeted cancer treatment, with randomized trial data confirming its ability to significantly improve patient survival rates. This therapy has already been applied to prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors and is gradually becoming a distinctive integrated diagnostic and therapeutic model in oncology. Radioligand therapy delivers radionuclides to specific targets on cancer cells, enabling efficient and precise tumor destruction, making it especially suitable for patients with widespread metastases who are not candidates for surgery or chemotherapy.

On the eve of the CIIE, Novartis China's first radioligand therapy drug Pluvicto®Dual indications approved simultaneously, offering new treatment options that may extend survival and improve quality of life for Chinese patients with advanced prostate cancer who have limited therapeutic choices.

It is understood that molecular imaging equipment plays an indispensable role in the process of radiopharmaceutical therapy – from new drug development, to patient screening, diagnostic evaluation, treatment implementation, and efficacy monitoring, covering the entire diagnosis and treatment cycle. Siemens Healthineers is one of the leading companies utilizing molecular imaging technology for cancer diagnosis and treatment, offering imaging systems such as Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography/Computed Tomography (SPECT/CT), along with advanced clinical software applications. The company has already achieved localized production of molecular imaging equipment in China. In June 2025, Siemens Healthineers' molecular imaging division and Massachusetts General Hospital announced a collaboration to establish a new Theranostics Command Center. This center will help Massachusetts General Hospital collect integrated diagnosis and treatment data, enable real-time monitoring of the treatment process, and develop the most precise personalized treatment plans for each patient.

At this year's CIIE, Siemens Healthineers showcased its Biograph Vision Quadra 2.0 whole-body PET/CT scanner, which boasts the highest measured system sensitivity in the industry. It is capable of achieving detailed structural and functional imaging, generating whole-body dynamic images in a single scan. The Biograph Vision Quadra 2.0 features spatiotemporal dynamic scanning, allowing for the intuitive visualization of systemic metabolic changes, aiding in the exploration of novel targets and dosimetry evaluation. With ultra-high system resolution and sub-millimeter reconstruction technology, the system can clearly display tiny lesions as small as 2 millimeters, providing crucial technical support for precision medicine.