The University of Kansas Health System, the University of Kansas Medical Center, Children’s Mercy, and Bold Advanced Medical Future (BAMF) Health have announced a major public-private collaboration to establish a fully integrated theranostics platform in Kansas City serving both adult and pediatric patients. Theranostics combines diagnostic imaging and targeted therapy using the same molecular target—most commonly radiopharmaceuticals in oncology—allowing clinicians to identify, treat, and monitor cancer with high precision.
The initiative will centralize molecular imaging, radioligand clinical trials, radiopharmaceutical manufacturing, and radiopharmaceutical therapy in a single coordinated treatment center. By aligning research, production, and care delivery in one location, the partnership aims to streamline development timelines, accelerate trial enrollment, and improve access to next-generation precision oncology treatments.
A distinguishing feature of the collaboration is its inclusion of pediatric theranostics through Children’s Mercy. Most theranostics programs globally are focused on adult oncology, leaving limited infrastructure for children who may benefit from radiopharmaceutical approaches. Integrating pediatric capabilities expands the platform’s clinical reach and positions Kansas City as a comprehensive hub for theranostic innovation across age groups.
Leaders from the institutions emphasized that the model enables rapid deployment of cutting-edge radiopharmaceutical trials emerging from research conducted at KU Medical Center. By combining academic research strengths with private-sector production and operational capabilities, the platform is designed to reduce fragmentation and shorten the path from scientific discovery to patient treatment.
The move aligns with accelerating global momentum in theranostics. The market is projected to reach $12.7 billion by 2029, fueled by rising cancer incidence, resistance to conventional therapies, and demand for more personalized treatment strategies. Major industry players, including GE HealthCare, have highlighted theranostics as a transformative approach because it allows physicians to image the same biological target before and after therapy—improving patient selection, treatment planning, and outcome monitoring.
By building an integrated ecosystem that spans imaging, manufacturing, clinical trials, and therapy delivery, the Kansas City collaboration seeks to establish a regional center of excellence in precision medicine while expanding access to advanced cancer care for both adult and pediatric populations.
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