First RDT candidate MP0712 shows low kidney accumulation and high tumor uptake in preclinical models

MP0712 treatment leads to strong tumor growth inhibition with a good safety profile in vivo

ZURICH-SCHLIEREN, Switzerland and CONCORD, Mass., Sept. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Molecular Partners AG (SIX: MOLN; NASDAQ: MOLN), a clinical-stage biotech company developing a new class of custom-built protein drugs known as DARPin therapeutics, today announced that the Company will present on its lead-212 (²¹²Pb)-labeled Radio-DARPin Therapeutic (RDT) targeting delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3) co-developed with Orano Med, at the European Assocation of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) Congress which runs October 19-23, 2024 in Hamburg, Germany.

The presentation details are as follows:

Title: Preclinical Assessment of Lead-212 (²¹²Pb) Radio-DARPin Therapeutic (RDT)
Targeting Delta-like Ligand 3 (DLL3) in Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)
Presentation Number: OP-535
Session Number: 1204
Session Title: M2M Track – Top Rated Oral Presentation (TROP) Session: Radiopharmaceutical Sciences + Translational Molecular Imaging & Therapy Committee: From Radionuclide to Clinical Translation
Session Timing & Location: October 22, 2024; 8:00-9:30 a.m. CET, Hall X1–X4
Presentation Timing: October 22, 2024; 9:20-9:30 a.m. CET

The presentation will be made available on Molecular Partners’ website after the conference.

Molecular Partners is developing a unique and innovative RDT platform for targeted delivery of radioactive payloads to solid tumors. Due to their small size, high specificity and affinity, DARPins are well-suited as vector for efficient delivery of therapeutic radionuclides. In June 2024, Molecular Partners, together with Targeted Alpha Therapy pioneers Orano Med, announced MP0712, a ²¹²Pb-labeled DLL3-targeting radiopharmaceutical as their first co-developed RDT candidate.

DLL3 is a priority target for radiopharmaceutical therapy thanks to its abundant expression in tumors of patients with SCLC (>85%) and other aggressive neuroendocrine tumors, while expression in healthy tissues is low.

At EANM 2024, Molecular Partners will present their preclinical results supporting MP0712 as a promising treatment candidate for SCLC, with an attractive biodistribution profile, potent antitumor activity and a good safety profile.

About DARPin Therapeutics
DARPin (Designed Ankyrin Repeat Protein) therapeutics are a new class of custom-built protein drugs based on natural binding proteins that open new dimensions of multi-functionality and multi-target specificity in drug design. The flexible architecture, intrinsic potential for high affinity and specificity, small size and high stability of DARPins offer benefits to drug design over other currently available protein-based therapeutics. DARPin candidates can be radically simple, with a single DARPin unit acting as the delivery vector to a specific target; or multispecific, with the possibility of engaging more than five targets, and combining multiple and conditional functionalities in a unique DARPin drug candidate. The DARPin platform is designed to be a rapid and cost-effective drug discovery engine, producing drug candidates with optimized properties and high production yields. DARPin therapeutics have been clinically validated across several therapeutic areas and developed through to the registrational stage.

About Molecular Partners AG 
Molecular Partners AG is a clinical-stage biotech company pioneering the design and development of DARPin therapeutics for medical challenges other drug modalities cannot readily address. The Company has programs in various stages of pre-clinical and clinical development, with oncology as its main focus. Molecular Partners leverages the advantages of DARPins to provide unique solutions to patients through its proprietary programs as well as through partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies. Molecular Partners was founded in 2004 and has offices in both Zurich, Switzerland and Concord, MA, USA. For more information, visit www.molecularpartners.com and find us on LinkedIn and Twitter/X  @MolecularPrtnrs

About Orano Med SAS
Orano Med is a clinical-stage biotechnology company which develops a new generation of targeted therapies against cancer using the unique properties of lead-212 (²¹²Pb), a rare alpha-emitting radioisotope and one of the more potent therapeutic payloads against cancer cells known as Targeted Alpha-Emitter Therapy (TAT). The company develops several treatments using ²¹²Pb combined with various targeting agents. Orano Med has ²¹²Pb manufacturing facilities, laboratories, and R&D centers in France and in the US and is currently investing to further expand its GMP-manufacturing capacities for ²¹²Pb radiolabeled pharmaceuticals in North America and Europe. For more information, please visit: www.oranomed.com.

For further details, please contact:
Seth Lewis, SVP Investor Relations & Strategy
Concord, Massachusetts, U.S.
seth.lewis@molecularpartners.com
Tel: +1 781 420 2361

Laura Jeanbart, PhD, Head of Portfolio Management & Communications
Zurich-Schlieren, Switzerland
laura.jeanbart@molecularpartners.com
Tel: +41 44 575 19 35

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, without limitation: implied and express statements regarding the clinical development of Molecular Partners’ current or future product candidates; expectations regarding timing for reporting data from ongoing clinical trials or the initiation of future clinical trials; the potential therapeutic and clinical benefits of Molecular Partners’ product candidates and its RDT and Switch-DARPin platforms; the selection and development of future programs; Molecular Partners’ collaboration with Orano Med including the benefits and results that may be achieved through the collaboration; and Molecular Partners’ expected business and financial outlook, including anticipated expenses and cash utilization for 2024 and its expectation of its current cash runway. These statements may be identified by words such as “aim”, “expect”, “guidance”, “intend”, “outlook”, “plan”, “potential”, “will” and similar expressions, and are based on Molecular Partners’ current beliefs and expectations. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements. Some of the key factors that could cause actual results to differ from Molecular Partners’ expectations include its plans to develop and potentially commercialize its product candidates; Molecular Partners’ reliance on third party partners and collaborators over which it may not always have full control; Molecular Partners’ ongoing and planned clinical trials and preclinical studies for its product candidates, including the timing of such trials and studies; the risk that the results of preclinical studies and clinical trials may not be predictive of future results in connection with future clinical trials; the timing of and Molecular Partners’ ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approvals for its product candidates; the extent of clinical trials potentially required for Molecular Partners’ product candidates; the clinical utility and ability to achieve market acceptance of Molecular Partners’ product candidates; the potential that Molecular Partners’ product candidates may exhibit serious adverse, undesirable or unacceptable side effects; the impact of any health pandemic, macroeconomic factors and other global events on Molecular Partners’ preclinical studies, clinical trials or operations, or the operations of third parties on which it relies; Molecular Partners’ plans and development of any new indications for its product candidates; Molecular Partners’ commercialization, marketing and manufacturing capabilities and strategy; Molecular Partners’ intellectual property position; Molecular Partners’ ability to identify and in-license additional product candidates; unanticipated factors in addition to the foregoing that may impact Molecular Partners’ financial and business projections and guidance; and other risks and uncertainties that are described in the Risk Factors section of Molecular Partners’ Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 14, 2024 and other filings Molecular Partners makes with the SEC. These documents are available on the Investors page of Molecular Partners’ website at www.molecularpartners.com. In addition, this press release contains information relating to interim data as of the relevant data cutoff date, results of which may differ from topline results that may be obtained in the future. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and are based on information available to Molecular Partners as of the date of this release, and Molecular Partners assumes no obligation to, and does not intend to, update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.