Molecular Partners Advances DLL3 Radiopharmaceutical MP0712 to Higher Dose Cohort

Swiss clinical-stage biotechnology company Molecular Partners AG recently announced its business progress and financial results for the first half of 2026. The company stated that its DLL3-targeting radioactive DARPin therapy MP0712 has advanced to the second therapeutic dose level in a U.S. multicenter Phase 1/2a clinical study, and patient enrollment for the new dose cohort is currently underway.

MP0712 is a radiopharmaceutical targeting the tumor-associated antigen DLL3, carrying a therapeutic alpha-emitting radionuclide lead-212 (Pb-212) payload, co-developed by Molecular Partners and Orano Med, primarily for small cell lung cancer and other neuroendocrine tumors. According to the company's disclosure, enrollment for the first dose cohort of MP0712 has been completed, and patients are receiving repeat dosing, with some patients having received up to four doses to date. The first dose cohort was administered at 75 MBq per dose, and all patients have completed the safety observation period with no dose-limiting events observed; adverse events reported to date have been mild to moderate in severity, transient in nature, and resolved before the next scheduled dosing cycle.

After reviewing the safety data from the first dose cohort, the Dose Escalation Review Committee recommended advancing the study to the next dose cohort. The second dose cohort is being administered at 105 MBq per dose and is now open and enrolling patients. The company stated that five study sites are currently participating in the study, with plans to expand to nine sites within 2026. The Phase 1 study is designed with four dose levels, and the company expects to announce preliminary clinical data in 2026, with more comprehensive safety and efficacy data to follow in 2027.

In addition to MP0712, Molecular Partners also disclosed further arrangements for its radiopharmaceutical pipeline. The company has selected CD70 as its third radiopharmaceutical therapeutic target, intended for clear cell renal cell carcinoma and other cancer indications. CD70 is overexpressed in relevant tumors while showing limited expression in healthy tissues. The company plans to announce related preclinical data in the second half of 2026 and initiate investigational new drug application preparation activities, with the program expected to enter the clinical stage in 2027.

The company also stated that MP0726, targeting MSLN, is planned to advance to the first-in-human imaging stage in the second half of 2026; the South African nuclear medicine research institution NuMeRI has initiated an early-stage clinical trial program using the DLL3-targeting radioactive DARPin MP0714 labeled with lutetium-177/actinium-225 for patient imaging and therapeutic studies.

On the financial front, as of June 30, 2026, Molecular Partners held cash and cash equivalents of CHF 67.9 million, approximately USD 84 million. The company expects that, under current operating assumptions, this funding level will support its operations through the end of 2027. In the first half of 2026, the company's net cash used in operating activities was CHF 25.0 million, with an operating loss of CHF 27.0 million and a net loss of CHF 26.7 million.