government agencies, hospitals, other organizations involved in research, manufacturing, and commercialization of diagnostics and therapies. In addition to the current standard of care for patients, commercial and academic clinical trials are being pursued by a number of parties in the field of radiopharmaceuticals. Early results from these trials have fueled continued interest in radiopharmaceuticals, which is being pursued by several biotechnology companies, as well as by large pharmaceutical companies.
There are several companies with approved beta-based radiopharmaceuticals, including Lantheus Holdings, Novartis, Bayer, Sirtex, Boston Scientific and Q BioMed Inc. and other companies developing beta-based radiopharmaceuticals, including POINT Biopharma Global, ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE and Y-mAbs Therapeutics, Inc. The beta emitting isotopes used by these companies include Iodine-131, Lutetium-177, Strontium-89 and Yttrium-90.
There are several companies developing targeted alpha-based radiopharmaceuticals for the treatment of cancer, including Bayer, Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, Abdera Therapeutics, Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Aktis Oncology, Convergent Therapeutics, Debiopharm, Fusion Pharmaceuticals Inc., ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE, Lantheus Holdings, Inc., Mariana Oncology, Inc., Perspective Therapeutics, POINT Biopharma Global Inc., RadioMedix, Inc., RayzeBio, Inc., and Y-mAbs Therapeutics, Inc. The only approved alpha particle-based therapy is Bayer’s Xofigo (Radium 223) which was approved in 2013 for the treatment of prostate cancer with symptomatic bone metastases.
We consider our most direct competitors to be companies developing and commercializing diagnostics and therapies in our core therapy areas, including prostate cancer, kidney cancer, brain cancer, sarcoma, and bone marrow conditioning.
In prostate cancer therapy, Pluvicto (177Lu vipivotide tetraxetan), marketed by Novartis, was approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with PSMA-positive mCRPC who have been treated with androgen receptor pathway inhibition and taxane-based chemotherapy in March 2022. Pluvicto is the only FDA-approved PSMA-targeted therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer. Several other systemic radiotherapies are being investigated in clinical trials in the mCRPC setting and across other stages of prostate cancer, and potentially could be commercialized in the future.
In mCRPC treatment, there are several companies developing PSMA-targeted therapies in the mCRPC space, including Novartis, Convergent, Point Biopharma, Lilly, Lantheus Holdings, Inc, Curium Pharma, ARTBIO, Inc., Blue Earth Therapeutics, Clarity Pharmaceuticals, Fusion Pharmaceuticals, Bayer, Orano Med SAS, Isotopia Molecular Imaging Ltd, ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, AdvanCell Isotopes Pty Ltd, Alpha-9 Theranostics, Cancer Targeted Technologies, FutureChem Co Ltd., Sinotau Pharmaceutical Group, RadioPharm Theranostics, Precision Molecular, StarPharma, Ambrx Biopharm, Inc., Amgen Inc., Crescendo Therapeutics, Poseida Therapeutics, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, BioXcel Therapeutics, Lava Therapeutics, Janux Therapeutics, Bivision Pharmaceuticals and Full-Life Technologies. Our competitors also include companies developing other modalities to treat patients with mCRPC.
In prostate cancer imaging, UCLA and UCSF obtained FDA approval for 68Ga-PSMA-11 in 2020, this was the first PSMA-PET imaging agent to be approved by the FDA. Pylarify (18F-piflufolastat), marketed by Lantheus Holdings, Inc, was approved by the FDA in 2021. Locametz (68Ga-PSMA-11), marketed by Novartis, received FDA approval in 2022 and Posluma (18F-flotufolastat), marketed by Blue Earth Diagnostic, received FDA approval in 2023. Several other PSMA-PET product candidates are being evaluated in clinical trials for prostate cancer imaging and may be commercialized in the future. Companies developing PSMA-PET imaging agents include ABX-CRO, Isotopia Molecular Imaging Ltd, Itelpharma, ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE, Five Eleven Pharma, Fortis Therapeutics, RadioMedix, Inc., HTA Co. Ltd and Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.
In kidney cancer therapy, there are several companies developing CAIX-targeted systemic radiotherapies, including Debiopharm SA, Precision Molecular, Inc. Bayer AG and RayzeBio, Inc.
In kidney cancer imaging, there are several companies developing ccRCC or CAIX-targeted imaging agents, including Debiopharm SA, Philogen S.p.A., ImaginAb, Inc., Precision Molecular, Astellas Pharma Inc. and Five Eleven Pharma.