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