Arpit Chhabra, Co-Founder of Bridge Oncology, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“The Biggest Bottleneck in Theranostics Isn’t the Isotope.
Over the past several months, as I’ve been leading the development and implementation of our theranostics program at the New York Proton Center, one realization has become increasingly clear: The biggest bottleneck in theranostics isn’t the isotope.
While discussions often center on radiopharmaceutical supply, the reality is that the isotope represents just one step in a much larger patient journey.
The true challenge – and opportunity – is building the operational infrastructure that allows the right patients to receive the right therapy at the right time.
Launching a successful theranostics program requires far more than adding a new treatment. It demands thoughtful coordination across an entire oncology ecosystem, including:
- Early identification of appropriate patients before treatment opportunities are missed.
- Efficient referral pathways connecting medical oncology, urology, radiation oncology, nuclear medicine, radiology, pathology, and pharmacy.
- Standardized imaging, laboratory testing, and multidisciplinary evaluation.
- Nursing, radiation safety, pharmacy, and clinical workflows that prioritize both safety and efficiency.
- Prior authorization, financial clearance, and reimbursement processes that minimize delays in care.
- Scheduling systems that coordinate multiple departments while delivering a seamless patient experience.
Perhaps most importantly, theranostics is one of the few oncology service lines that truly cannot succeed in departmental silos.
It requires collaboration across physicians, nurses, pharmacists, technologists, administrators, financial teams, and operational leaders. Every handoff matters. Every workflow matters.
As more organizations develop theranostics programs, success won’t be defined solely by who gains access to the next radiopharmaceutical first.
It will be defined by who builds the multidisciplinary infrastructure that consistently delivers high-quality, efficient, and patient-centered care.
The isotope may be the treatment – but the program is what determines whether patients can actually receive it.”
