Molecular Partners Nominates MP0730 as Next Candidate in Expanding Pipeline of Radiotherapeutics, Targeting CD70

Mouse data showed sustained tumor uptake relative to healthy tissues; a first-in-human program is expected to start mid-2027.

Rhea-AI Summary

Molecular Partners (MOLN) selected MP0730 as its lead CD70-targeting Radio-DARPin candidate, adding a third program to its targeted alpha radiotherapy pipeline.

The company expects a first-in-human program to start mid-2027. Preclinical data presented on October 1, 2026, showed sustained tumor uptake in tumor-bearing mice relative to healthy tissues, including kidney, liver and blood. These results concern distribution in mice, not human treatment outcomes. CD70 is overexpressed in clear cell renal cell carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer, and other cancers; its expression is maintained in metastases and limited in healthy tissues.

Positive

• Minor pointMP0730 selection adds a third targeted alpha radiotherapy program to Molecular Partners’ pipeline.
• Minor pointPreclinical mouse data showed sustained tumor uptake relative to healthy tissues, including kidney, liver and blood.
• Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.MP0730’s first-in-human program is expected to start mid-2027.

Negative

• None.

Key Figures

Expected first-in-human start: Mid-2027; also stated as H2 2027 Radio-DARPin program position: Third program

Expected first-in-human start

Mid-2027; also stated as H2 2027

MP0730 program; the article gives both timelines

Radio-DARPin program position

Third program

MP0730 in the company’s targeted alpha radiotherapeutics pipeline

Historical Context

1 past event · Latest: Aug 25

1 event

1. Aug 25

   Pipeline update

   24h Move

   -0.5%

   Earlier CD70 target selection set clinical-entry plans for 2027; MP0730 is now named lead candidate.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Key Terms

biodistribution, car-t cell therapies, ccrcc, therapeutic index, +1 more

5 terms

biodistribution medical

"attractive biodistribution profile of the CD70-targeting Radio-DARPin lead candidate"

Biodistribution is the map of where a drug, vaccine, or diagnostic agent travels and accumulates inside the body after administration. Investors care because where a product ends up affects how well it works, what side effects it may cause, and whether regulators will approve it—similar to tracking dye in a plumbing system to find leaks or blockages; unexpected destinations can raise safety, cost, and market-adoption risks.

car-t cell therapies medical

"demonstrated through CAR-T cell therapies"

CAR‑T cell therapies are treatments that take a patient’s immune cells, genetically reprogram them to recognize and attack cancer cells, and then return them to the patient — think of retraining the body’s soldiers to spot a hidden enemy. They matter to investors because they can offer long‑lasting benefits or cures for some cancers, but they also involve high development costs, complex manufacturing, regulatory scrutiny, and premium pricing that affect commercial and financial outcomes.

ccrcc medical

"overexpressed in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC)"

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma is the most common form of kidney cancer, named for the pale-looking cells seen under a microscope; it starts in the filtering units of the kidney and can spread to other organs. Investors watch it because the disease defines a specific market for diagnostics, drugs and clinical trials—like a product category in tech—and trial results, approvals or safety issues can materially affect companies developing treatments and their valuations.

therapeutic index medical

"a compelling foundation for achieving a favorable therapeutic index"

The therapeutic index is a measure of a drug’s safety margin—the gap between the dose that produces a desired effect and the dose that causes harmful effects. For investors, a larger therapeutic index means a wider safety cushion, lower risk of dangerous side effects, smoother regulatory review and broader market acceptance, all of which can reduce clinical and commercial risk and affect a drug developer’s valuation.

linear energy transfer technical

"due to its high linear energy transfer"

Linear energy transfer (LET) measures how much energy ionizing radiation deposits as it travels through tissue, expressed per unit distance along its path. It matters to investors because higher-LET radiation causes denser, more damaging cellular injury and can influence the effectiveness, safety, dosing and regulatory review of radiotherapies and radiopharmaceuticals — think of a single heavy ball making a deep dent versus many light pebbles leaving shallow marks.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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• Attractive biodistribution supports selection of MP0730 as Radio-DARPin therapy candidate 
  
  
• CD70 is a clinically validated target expressed in kidney cancer and other indications
  
  
• First-in-human program expected to start in H2 2027
  
  

ZURICH-SCHLIEREN, Switzerland and CONCORD, Mass., Oct. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Molecular Partners AG (SIX: MOLN; NASDAQ: MOLN), a clinical-stage biotech company developing a novel class of medicines known as DARPin therapeutics (“Molecular Partners” or the “Company”), today announced the selection of MP0730 as its lead Radio-DARPin candidate targeting the tumor-associated antigen CD70. MP0730 is the third program in the Company’s pipeline of targeted alpha radiotherapeutics, and a first-in-human program is expected to start mid-2027.

Molecular Partners presented preclinical data on MP0730 at the Discovery on Target – Radioligand Therapies conference on October 1, 2026, in Boston, MA (presentation title: DARPins as Ligands for Targeted Alpha Therapy: First-in-Human Experience with MP0712 and Opportunities for Next Radio-DARPin Candidates). The data outline an attractive biodistribution profile of the CD70-targeting Radio-DARPin lead candidate in tumor-bearing mice, with strong and sustained tumor uptake relative to healthy tissues, including kidney, liver and blood.

"The selection of MP0730 as our third Radio-DARPin Therapeutic marks another important milestone in our ambition to deliver transformative therapies for patients with high unmet medical needs. CD70’s clean expression profile paired with MP0730’s best-in-class properties provide a compelling foundation for achieving a favorable therapeutic index, addressing on-target, off-tumor accumulation observed with certain radiopharmaceutical approaches against other antigens expressed in kidney cancer,” said Daniel Steiner, Ph.D., SVP Targeted Radiotherapeutics of Molecular Partners.

CD70 is a clinically validated target, demonstrated through CAR-T cell therapies, and is overexpressed in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), a type of kidney cancer, and in other cancer indications. CD70 expression is maintained in metastases and limited in healthy tissues, making it an ideal candidate for targeted alpha radiotherapy.

ccRCC has a robust DNA repair mechanism and is inherently resistant to conventional cytotoxic therapies. Targeted alpha therapy induces difficult-to-repair double-strand breaks in tumor cells, independently from genetic mutations, due to its high linear energy transfer, thereby offering a new avenue for patients with hard-to-treat cancers such as ccRCC.

About Radio-DARPins
Molecular Partners develops targeted alpha therapeutics leveraging its Radio-DARPins as isotope-agnostic vectors to unlock a broad range of cancer targets and indications. The Company tailors its radiotherapeutic candidates by matching vector and isotope properties with disease and target biology to address unmet medical needs. Designed for precise delivery of potent radioactive payloads to tumor lesions, Molecular Partners’ Radio-DARPins address historic limitations of radioligand therapy, such as kidney accumulation and suboptimal tumor uptake, through optimized half-life extension and surface engineering approaches. In addition, the Company’s Radio-DARPins support swapping of chelator and isotope while maintaining comparable biodistribution of candidates, thereby offering potential competitive advantages over other vectors. DARPin (Designed Ankyrin Repeat Protein) therapeutics are a novel class of medicines – with key properties such as exquisite specificity, high affinity, small size – which have been clinically-validated across several disease areas, tested in >2500 patients globally, and developed through to the registrational stage.

About Molecular Partners AG 
Molecular Partners AG (SIX, NASDAQ: MOLN) is a clinical-stage biotech company pioneering a novel class of medicines known as DARPin therapeutics for cancer patients underserved by existing treatment modalities. Molecular Partners focuses on the development of targeted radiotherapeutics, leveraging the unique properties of DARPin miniproteins as isotope-agnostic vectors. The Company’s lead medicine MP0712, targeting DLL3 and armed with ²¹²Pb, advances in a US multicenter Phase 1/2a study for patients with small cell lung cancer and other neuroendocrine cancers. Molecular Partners has established partnerships with industry leaders and academic centers covering the full value chain of radiotherapeutics. Molecular Partners, founded in 2004, has offices in both Zurich, Switzerland and Concord, MA, USA. For more information, visit www.molecularpartners.com and find us on LinkedIn.

For further details, please contact:
Seth Lewis, EVP Corporate Finance
Concord, Massachusetts, U.S.
seth.lewis@molecularpartners.com
Tel: +1 781 420 2361

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

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains 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 2026 and its expectation of its current cash runway. These statements may be identified by words such as “aim”, “anticipate”, “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, but are not limited to, those set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in Molecular Partners’ Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2025 and other filings Molecular Partners makes with the SEC from time to time. 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.

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

When is Molecular Partners’ MP0730 first-in-human program expected to start?

Molecular Partners expects MP0730’s first-in-human program to start mid-2027. MP0730 is the company’s lead CD70-targeting Radio-DARPin candidate and its third targeted alpha radiotherapy program.

What did Molecular Partners’ MP0730 preclinical data show?

MP0730 showed sustained tumor uptake relative to healthy tissues in tumor-bearing mice, including comparisons with kidney, liver and blood. The preclinical data were presented on October 1, 2026, at the Discovery on Target – Radioligand Therapies conference in Boston.