Melbourne, Australia, and Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, November 5, 2026
Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited has announced its participation in Thera4Care, a European collaborative initiative focused on advancing next-generation theranostics for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Through this partnership, Telix will contribute its expertise in radiopharmaceutical development and support research involving its fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-targeting therapeutic platform, including TLX400-Tx. The Thera4Care consortium has selected Telix’s FAP-targeting molecular candidate, DOTAGA.Glu.(FAPi)₂, for clinical evaluation using the radioisotope terbium-161 (¹⁶¹Tb). The planned Phase 1 clinical study will investigate its safety and preliminary activity in patients with FAP-expressing metastatic solid tumours, initially focusing on ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer and sarcomas. The collaboration represents an important development in personalized cancer treatment, combining targeted radiopharmaceutical technology with international clinical and academic research.
Telix Joins European Thera4Care Theranostics Initiative
The Thera4Care initiative brings together 27 partners, including leading European academic institutions, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical and medical technology companies, and patient advocacy organizations. The project involves partners from 14 European countries and the United States, with the objective of establishing an integrated theranostics ecosystem to improve access to personalized cancer care. Theranostics combines diagnostic imaging and targeted radionuclide treatment to identify disease and deliver radiation to specific biological targets. This approach allows clinicians and researchers to investigate how cancer-associated molecular targets can be used for both disease detection and treatment. Telix will contribute to the consortium’s preclinical and clinical research activities, particularly the evaluation of FAP-targeted radiopharmaceutical candidates. The collaboration is expected to generate additional scientific evidence across multiple research centers, helping inform future development strategies for FAP-targeting therapies. The Thera4Care project is coordinated by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli in Italy, with GE HealthCare serving as the industry lead. The initiative receives support through the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme and the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking.
Terbium-161 Supports Next-Generation FAP-Targeted Therapy
A central component of the collaboration is the selection of Telix’s FAP-targeting dimer, DOTAGA.Glu.(FAPi)₂, for clinical evaluation with terbium-161. FAP is a protein expressed at elevated levels in cancer-associated fibroblasts within the tumour microenvironment of several solid cancers. These fibroblasts can contribute to tumour development, progression and the surrounding biological environment. By targeting FAP, researchers aim to deliver radioactive substances to cancer-associated tissue. This strategy could provide another approach to treating metastatic disease, particularly where conventional treatment options may be limited. The planned Phase 1 clinical trial will evaluate the safety profile and preliminary therapeutic activity of ¹⁶¹Tb-labelled DOTAGA.Glu.(FAPi)₂ in patients with FAP-expressing metastatic solid tumours. Initial research will focus on ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer and sarcomas. Terbium-161 is particularly interesting because it emits beta particles as well as Auger electrons, which deposit energy over very short distances. This radiation profile may offer advantages when targeting small tumour deposits and microscopic metastatic disease while limiting radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissues. However, its clinical advantages and safety will need to be established through prospective clinical evaluation.
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TLX400-Tx Strengthens Telix’s Radiopharmaceutical Pipeline
The collaboration also aligns with Telix’s own development strategy for TLX400-Tx, its investigational FAP-targeted therapeutic candidate based on the same molecular targeting structure labelled with lutetium-177 (¹⁷⁷Lu). While the Thera4Care study will investigate the terbium-161-labelled compound, Telix’s TLX400-Tx program uses lutetium-177 as its therapeutic radioisotope. This distinction is important because the two radioisotopes have different radiation-emission characteristics and are being investigated through related but distinct development approaches. Beyond the initial terbium-161 research, Thera4Care will explore additional radiopharmaceutical combinations involving scandium-44 (⁴⁴Sc), copper-64 (⁶⁴Cu) and copper-67 (⁶⁷Cu). These isotopes may support further investigation of diagnostic imaging and targeted radionuclide treatment across different cancer indications. Telix expects the research collaboration to provide access to preclinical and clinical findings generated across participating institutions, potentially supporting future decisions regarding its FAP-targeted development programs. Overall, Telix’s participation in Thera4Care represents an important step in advancing FAP-targeted theranostics and next-generation radiopharmaceutical research. The planned Phase 1 study will be important in establishing the safety and preliminary clinical activity of terbium-161-labelled FAP-targeting therapy. Further clinical evidence will determine whether this approach can become a meaningful addition to precision oncology treatment.
Source: Telix Pharmaceuticals press release
