• Developing bispecific Radio-DARPins to engage multiple tumor targets simultaneously, improving precision and therapeutic efficacy

  • Presentation outlines Radio-DARPins’ ability to match target and disease biology for improved outcomes

ZURICH-SCHLIEREN, Switzerland and CONCORD, Mass., July 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Molecular Partners AG (SIX: MOLN; NASDAQ: MOLN), a clinical-stage biotech company developing a novel class of custom-built protein drugs known as DARPin therapeutics (“Molecular Partners” or the “Company”), today highlights its approaches to overcoming target limitations in radioligand therapy (RLT) through Radio-DARPins, in a presentation at the Gordon Research Conference Radionuclide Theranostics for the Management of Cancer in Newry, Maine, US.

Title: Appropriate Targets for RLT? High selectivity vs high expression
Presenter: Daniel Steiner, Ph.D.
Time: Wednesday July 15 at 11:10-11:30 ET

The presentation outlines the ability of DARPins to match the biological characteristics of both the target and the disease, by optimizing their binding properties, systemic half-life, and biodistribution. To address tumor heterogeneity, Molecular Partners is also developing multispecific Radio-DARPins that can engage multiple tumor targets simultaneously, improving precision and therapeutic efficacy.

"Our multispecific Radio-DARPin approaches reflect Molecular Partners’ ambition to push the boundaries of radiotheranostics and address the complexity and heterogeneity of cancer. By combining the versatility of DARPins with our deep expertise in designing multispecific medicines, we are exploring innovative approaches that have the potential to broaden patient reach and improve outcomes. This work represents an important step toward the next generation of radiopharmaceuticals," said Daniel Steiner, Ph.D., SVP of Targeted Radio Therapeutics at Molecular Partners.

Building on the success of its first “mono”-targeting Radio-DARPins, the Company is highlighting the ability to expand its impact in the field of RLT through multispecific DARPins. These can be formatted either as a bispecific (two DARPins each binding an individual target) or as a 2-in-1 DuoDARPin (one DARPin able to bind two tumor targets in an either/or manner).

The Company’s multispecific approaches enable the design of radiopharmaceuticals for effective treatment of highly heterogenous cancers, with target expression variability across tumor lesions and patients. Such bispecific radiopharmaceuticals could allow to treat cancer indications in which two targets are co-expressed solely on tumor tissues, creating tumor-specific solutions for patients with limited therapeutic options today.

Molecular Partners’ lead Radio-DARPin candidate MP0712, co-developed with Orano Med and targeting delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3), is in a multicenter US Phase 1/2a trial, building on the successful generation of first imaging and dosimetry data from a compassionate care program. The second candidate MP0726, targeting mesothelin MSLN, is differentiated by its ability to selectively bind membrane-bound MSLN, and work towards first human imaging is expected this year. Molecular Partners expects to announce a third Radio-DARPin program, targeting a different tumor target, in 2026.

Following today’s presentation, a copy of the presentation from the Gordon Research Conference will be available on Molecular Partners website, under Scientific Documents .

About Gordon Research Conferences
Founded in 1931, Gordon Research Conferences (GRC) is a nonprofit organization based in Rhode Island that organizes a series of internationally recognized scientific conferences across the biological, chemical, and physical sciences. GRC hosts hundreds of conferences annually, spanning fields from physics and neurobiology to materials science and medicine, and its meetings are known for fostering in-depth scientific discussion among leading researchers in each field. Attendance is limited and application-based, with participants selected by the conference chair, encouraging close interaction and community-building among scientists advancing the frontier of their fields.

About Radio-DARPins
Molecular Partners develops targeted alpha therapeutics leveraging its Radio-DARPins as isotope-agnostic vectors with the potential to unlock a broad range of cancer targets and indications. Molecular Partners designs its Radio-DARPin candidates matching disease and target biology with vector and isotope properties to address unmet medical needs. Building on the DARPins’ unique properties, Molecular Partners has developed a proprietary Radio-DARPin platform 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, while preserving the advantages of the small protein format. Molecular Partners has established partnerships with industry leaders covering the full value chain for the development of its Radio-DARPin therapeutics, including a strategic collaboration with Orano Med – pioneer in the development of 212 Pb-based targeted alpha therapies (TAT), a non-exclusive development agreement with Eckert & Ziegler – global leader in radiopharmaceutical manufacturing, and a supply agreement with PanTera – a leading 225 Ac radioisotope producer.

About Molecular Partners AG
Molecular Partners AG (SIX: MOLN, NASDAQ: MOLN) is a clinical-stage biotech company pioneering a novel class of protein drugs known as DARPin therapeutics, for medical challenges other treatment modalities cannot readily address. Molecular Partners leverages the key properties of DARPins to design and develop differentiated therapeutics for cancer patients, including targeted radiopharmaceuticals and next-generation immune cell engagers. The Company has proprietary programs in various stages of pre-clinical and clinical development, as well as programs developed through partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies and academic centers. 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.
[email protected]
Tel: +1 781 420 2361

Laura Jeanbart, PhD, Head of Portfolio Management & Communications
Zurich-Schlieren, Switzerland
[email protected]
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; the expected benefits of the strategic review; 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 in 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.