NUCMED-NL has its origins in various initiatives united by a shared ambition: to strengthen the nuclear medicine ecosystem so that more effective nuclear medicines can be developed and made available to patients more quickly.

Under the leadership of Prof. Wim Oyen, the roadmap for nuclear medicine development [link] was drawn up in 2024, commissioned by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. Based on interviews within the field, this roadmap identifies the most significant challenges and opportunities. The roadmap outlines a plan leading up to 2035 to jointly address challenges related to the clinical application of nuclear medicines.

In parallel with this process, the report Analysis of the Dutch Nuclear Medicine Ecosystem [link] was published on behalf of FAST. This report contains a SWOT analysis of the national ecosystem and shows that the Netherlands has a strong and internationally recognized field, with broad representation of stakeholders, high-quality -and in some cases unique- facilities, and high-quality research. At the same time, it concludes that more intensive collaboration and better coordination are necessary to realize the full potential.

In addition, a national consortium worked on the Growth Fund application titled “DECISIVE” (Dutch Medical Isotopes Save Lives), supported by FAST and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. The aim of this application was to strengthen the nuclear medicine chain, from development to application, in order to make the Netherlands a leader in the field of nuclear medicine, particularly in connection with the construction of the PALLAS reactor. Although the Growth Fund program was terminated prematurely, preventing an application from being submitted, the underlying ambition remains as relevant as ever.

There is broad support for the need to further strengthen the ecosystem. As a follow-up to the roadmap, FAST has drawn up a strategic TRT research agenda to guide research and innovation, and several initiatives have been further developed within the DECISIVE consortium. There is a strong ambition to collaborate more intensively within the Netherlands, but this also requires connecting diverse parties and interests.
NUCMED-NL was established to turn that shared ambition into reality. As an independent national platform, NUCMED-NL brings together stakeholders and initiatives from the field, facilitates collaboration, and works on the enabling conditions necessary to bring nuclear therapies to patients more quickly and under socially acceptable conditions. You can read about how we do this in our approach.