- Chaired by globally renowned nuclear medicine expert Prof. Ken Herrmann, M.D.
- Other Board members James Cook, Jason Lewis, Ph.D., and Michael Morris, M.D. bring significant clinical and industry expertise, supporting transition from early clinical validation to strategic development
ZURICH-SCHLIEREN, Switzerland and CONCORD, Mass., Dec. 11, 2025 (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 (“Molecular Partners” or the “Company”), today announced the formation of a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) for its radiopharmaceuticals, chaired by Prof. Ken Herrmann, M.D., a globally renowned expert in the field of nuclear medicine with more than two decades of experience.
"Molecular Partners’ Radio-DARPins have the potential to unlock targeted radiopharmaceuticals against a broad spectrum of tumor targets. These represent ideal vectors to precisely deliver potent alpha-emitting isotopes in cancer patients. In particular, I am excited by the first human images of MP0712 presented last month and look forward to phase 1 initiation. I am honored to Chair this Scientific Advisory Board and to collaborate with this esteemed group of experts, as we work to develop therapies that can redefine patient care,” said Ken Herrmann, M.D., Chair of the Molecular Partners SAB.
"The precision radiopharmaceuticals being developed from our Radio-DARPin platform are showing considerable promise, including encouraging early clinical signs from our lead Radio-DARPin candidate MP0712. Ken Herrmann’s expertise in nuclear medicine and his vision for the field make him the ideal leader for our Scientific Advisory Board, where he will be joined by a group of distinguished experts. This group will guide our transition from early clinical validation to strategic clinical development decisions that realize the full potential of our platform. Together, we aim to accelerate the development of our Radio-DARPin candidates and bring improved treatment options to patients in need,” said Patrick Amstutz, Ph.D., CEO of Molecular Partners.
Ken Herrmann is Chair of the Department of Nuclear Medicine at University Hospital Essen, Germany, and a globally recognized expert in theranostics and nuclear medicine, with extensive experience in clinical development and translational research. He previously acted as Adjunct Professor at the Ahmanson Translational Imaging Division of the Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), California, USA, and served as Chair of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) Oncology & Theranostics Committee. Ken Herrmann completed his residency in nuclear medicine at the Technische Universität München, Germany, and holds an executive MBA from the University of Zürich, Switzerland.
Ken Herrmann’s leadership will be instrumental in shaping Molecular Partners’ strategic direction, particularly as the company transitions from early clinical validation to pivotal development decisions.
The SAB also includes:
- radiopharmaceutical industry executive James Cook, previously founder and CEO of Evergreen Theragnostics (sold to Lantheus in 2025) and U.S. Chief Operating Officer at Advanced Accelerator Applications (acquired by Novartis in 2017), where his team commercially launched Lutathera and Netspot;
- radiochemist Prof. Jason Lewis, Ph.D., the Emily Tow Chair in Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a Deputy Director of the Sloan Kettering Institute (SKI); and
- medical oncologist and nuclear medicine specialist Prof. Michael Morris, M.D., Steven A. Greenberg Chair in Prostate Cancer Research and Prostate Cancer Section Head at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
The SAB will provide critical input on candidate development and guiding the transition from early clinical validation to late-stage trials, on platform expansion, such as exploring additional isotopes and novel targeting mechanisms, and cross-disciplinary innovation, leveraging the members’ diverse expertise to refine and challenge the company’s scientific and clinical strategies.
Molecular Partners’ Radio-DARPins represent ideal vectors for efficient delivery of potent alpha-emitting isotopes to tumor lesions and have the potential to unlock targeted radiopharmaceuticals across a broad range of tumor targets. The Company’s lead program MP0712 is a 212Pb-based Radio-DARPin candidate targeting DLL3 for the treatment of small cell lung cancer and other neuroendocrine cancers, co-developed with strategic partner Orano Med. The second RDT program slated for clinical development is MP0726, targeting mesothelin (MSLN), a tumor target overexpressed across several cancers with high unmet need, such as ovarian cancer. The Company’s proprietary technology continues to produce promising Radio-DARPins against new targets, addressing the key challenges of targeted radiotherapy by balancing precise delivery of a potent radioactive payload to the tumor while sparing healthy tissues.
About Molecular Partners AG
Molecular Partners AG (SIX: MOLN, NASDAQ: MOLN) 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
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 2025 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 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 cause Molecular Partners’ actual results to differ from its financial and business projections and guidance; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in Molecular Partners’ Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 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.
