ABSTRACT
Radiopharmaceutical is an essential component of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, as well as a key component of precision medicine. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved the marketing of several peptide-based radiopharmaceuticals, sparking a global trend of research in this area and propelling nuclear medicine into the precision theranostic era. This has created a new wave of technological competition in the field of nuclear medicine. It is the responsibility of Chinese scientists in the radiopharmaceutical field to capitalize on this opportunity, leverage the momentum, and strengthen their independent innovation capability in order to stay ahead in the future global nuclear science and technology competition. This review provides an overview of the remarkable progress made in the research, development, and translation of global peptide-based radiopharmaceuticals. It examines the advantages of peptide-based radiopharmaceuticals and outlines the current hot targets and progress in drug development in this field. Additionally, it proposes six opportunities for China to overtake others in the field of peptide-based radiopharmaceuticals and achieve technological self-reliance, based on interdisciplinary collaboration and independent innovation. Lastly, the future prospect of peptide-based radiopharmaceuticals is discussed.