Novartis has discontinued the development of Lu-NeoB, an experimental cancer therapy designed to seek out tumor cells and deliver targeted radiation. The company made the decision after early clinical trial results failed to yield sufficient evidence to justify advancing the candidate to the next stage.
On July 21 (local time), Novartis announced it would halt further development and additional clinical trials for Lutetium-NeoB (Lu-NeoB). The drugmaker confirmed that no new or unexpected safety issues were identified during trials and stated that patients currently enrolled in ongoing studies will continue to be managed according to established protocols.
Targeting GRPR with radioligand technology
Lu-NeoB is a radioligand therapy (RLT)—an approach that couples a radioactive isotope to a molecule designed to lock onto specific markers on cancer cells, concentrating destructive radiation directly within the tumor microenvironment.
Engineered to deliver the radioactive isotope lutetium-177, Lu-NeoB targets the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR), an antigen overexpressed in several solid tumors, including types of breast and prostate cancer. Novartis had been evaluating Lu-NeoB in advanced breast cancer and other GRPR-expressing solid tumors, testing it both as a monotherapy and in combination with other oncology drugs.
RLT commitment remains steadfast despite pipeline shift
Despite shelving the Lu-NeoB program, Novartis emphasized that its overarching investment strategy in radioligand therapies remains firm.
"Even after discontinuing Lu-NeoB, the company's commitment to this treatment approach has not changed at all," said Vas Narasimhan, Chief Executive Officer of Novartis.
The drugmaker continues to drive strong growth through its commercialized RLT portfolio, led by the prostate cancer treatment Pluvicto and the neuroendocrine tumor therapy Lutathera. Driven by expanded global access and increased adoption among patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer prior to taxane-based chemotherapies like docetaxel, Pluvicto generated $651 million in revenue in the second quarter of 2026—a 43% increase compared to the same period last year.
Advancing next-generation RLTs and ADCs
Novartis is actively pushing forward next-generation candidates in its RLT pipeline. An actinium-225-based candidate, 225Ac-PSMA-617, is currently in Phase 1 clinical evaluation for prostate cancer. Additional clinical-stage assets are targeting a range of oncology biomarkers, including DLL3, HER2, and fibroblast activation protein (FAP), a key target found in stroma surrounding solid tumors.
Alongside its RLT portfolio, Novartis is bolstering its investment in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). The company recently agreed to acquire U.K.-based Myricx Bio—gaining access to its preclinical ADC pipeline and proprietary payload-linker technologies—for $1.1 billion upfront, with milestone-dependent payments bringing the total potential deal value to $1.5 billion. The strategic acquisition supports a multi-pronged oncology model designed to deploy RLTs or ADCs based on specific tumor biology.
