Presidential Message 2025

Dear supporters and friends of WARMTH

Happy New Year to the WARMTH community and our friends

2024 has been a real success story for the World Association of Radiopharmaceutical and Molecular Therapy (WARMTH). The first highlight was the publication of the third WARMTH trial, which described targeted alpha therapy using Ac-225-PSMA-617 in Lancet Oncology in February. In this retrospective WARMTHAct study with 488 patients from four continents, Sathekge et al. report excellent outcomes; more than half of the advanced-stage patients responded, limited adverse effects were observed, and multiple factors affecting response could be identified. Additionally, I was requested to provide a commentary for The Lancet Oncology. WARMTH has conducted three major global trials, all published in high-ranked journals. The first two were retrospective trials using Lu-177-PSMA-617 (the same compound as Pluvicto®), both published in the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. In these studies, more than 400 patients were treated, and factors predicting outcomes and results could be validated before official registration trials using real-world evidence data were performed.

The main 2024 congress of the WARMTH was held in Muscat, Oman, on February 8-12. This 19^th ICRT (International Conference of Radiopharmaceutical Therapy) was well-attended, with participant representation from all continents and disciplines. The ICRT was successful, and the congress abstracts were published in the WJNM. World Theranostics Day (March 31st) was celebrated on April 3^rd as an online meeting with two well-known speakers, Drs Hossein Jadvar from Los Angeles, USA, and Andrew M Scott from Melbourne, Australia. This live online event was moderated in Helsinki, Finland, with technical support from Josh Mailman from San Francisco, California, and it gathered almost 300 participants worldwide. 

WARMTH was present at the SNMMI (Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging) meeting in Toronto, Canada, in June by arranging a joint session for radionuclide therapy. We also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SNMMI for the next two years. In the Asia Oceania Congress of Nuclear Medicine and Biology (AOCNMB) in Bali, Indonesia, WARMTH arranged an ISRT (International Symposium of Radiopharmaceutical Therapy) with two sessions. AOCNMB takes place every three years. Thus, the Indonesian Congress in September has been an entirely live event for six years. WARMTH had a theragnostics session at the IAEA’s iPET24 meeting in Vienna, Austria, in October. At iPET24 WARMTH, we participated strongly in our own session and panel. This event was held in person for the first time in seven years, with participants from 103 countries. The meeting culminated in the WARMTH and IAEA “Practical Arrangements” signing ceremony. WARMTH has had a strong connection with the IAEA and its member states in promoting the medical use of radionuclides globally. WARMTH founder Dr Ajit Padhy was previously an IAEA employee. WARMTH will continue with this critical task and strengthen our cooperation with the IAEA. More importantly, we in the WARMTH community used the relatively novel paradigm of “Thera(g)nostics” from the very start of our association. The vision of the Founding President, Professor Ajit Padhy, is that we should keep alive. For example: "When was the last time you did something for the first time." (Ajit's Editorial in WJNM 2012).

During 2024, there were many WARMTH-associated events. The most important ISRT was held in Lagos, Nigeria, in July. WARMTH initiatives are based on the global growth of Nuclear Medicine therapies in all countries. In 2024, we signed MoUs with SNMMI and ICPO. We wish to extend WARMTH’s involvement and influence and continue to provide expert networking on a global platform.

2025 is already planned, with many collaborative meetings starting in January. The main congress, the 20^th ICRT, will be held in Cyprus on November 6-9, 2025, in collaboration with the Cyprus Society of Nuclear Medicine. An ISRT will be held on April 10-12, 2025, in Baku, Azerbaijan, together with the Azerbaijan Society of Nuclear Medicine. WARMTH will be present in the ALASBIMN (Latin American Societies) meeting in March in Quintana Roo, Mexico, the SNMMI meeting in June in New Orleans, USA, and the European (EANM) meeting in October in Barcelona, Spain.

I appreciate the support from WARMTH officials, our chief operating officer, Josh Mailman, our secretary, Masha Maharaj, and Past Presidents and President-Elect. I am thankful to all the WARMTH officers for this year. We have had monthly meetings, primarily online. The Editor in Chief of the World Journal of Nuclear Medicine, Qaisar Siraj, has assisted the Governing Board. This WJNM journal (ISSN1450-1147) has an impact factor, and the abstracts of the forthcoming WARMTH meetings will be published in this Thieme journal. WARMTH supports this journal, and submissions are encouraged within the WARMTH community. We are planning a Special Issue about Theragnostics in WJNM.

Additionally, WARMTH extends congratulations to Gopinath Gnanasegaran (a WARMTH governing body member) who was elected as President of the World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology (WFNMB). We in WARMTH wish you well in your tenure at WFNMB and we look forward to the great collaborations between WARMTH and WFNMB.

WARMTH, as a voluntary non-profit organization of enthusiastic individuals, is willing to advance science and education of radiopharmaceutical therapies for the benefit of public health and humanity and is willing to work towards worldwide access to these theragnostic procedures.

WARMTH  will start in 2025 with its presence in  Singapore in February (Nuclear Medicine Update) and in March in Mexico at ALASBIMN and online World Theragnostics Day (March 31st). The very first WTD was celebrated on March 31st, 2019 (The proclamation was published in the World Journal of Nuclear Medicine (WJNM) as a part of the Helsinki ISRT Abstracts). This year, World Theragnostics Day was arranged live online with distinguished lecturers; next year will not be an exception. A similar event is planned.

Deeper collaboration with international societies such as IAEA, WFNMB, ICPO, SNMMI, EANM, AOFNMB, AANM, ARSNM, ALASBIMN will continue. New proposals for ISRTs from regional societies are always welcome.

I wish everyone a warm welcome to the Azerbaijan ISRT in April 2025 and to the main event in Cyprus (20th ICRT) in November 2025. The Congress Presidents Fuad Novruzov (Azerbaijan) and Savvas Frangos (Cyprus) and their local teams have already been very active. Let's make these meetings a success.

Happy New Year to the WARMTH Community and its friends

Kalevi Kairemo from Helsinki, Finland