Phase 1 study advances A9-3408, an Actinium-225-based radiotherapeutic, building on the progress of the company's imaging agent, A9-3202, which entered the clinic last year
Robert Meehan, M.D., appointed as Chief Medical Officer, bringing extensive clinical development expertise to advance the Company's radiotherapeutic pipeline
BOSTON and VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Alpha-9 Oncology, a clinical-stage radiotherapeutic company developing targeted cancer therapies, today announced the initiation of dosing in a Phase 1 study evaluating A9-3408, a novel Actinium-225-based radiotherapeutic targeting melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) for the treatment of patients with melanoma. The Phase 1 study is a multi-center, open-label trial designed to evaluate the safety, dosimetry, and dose escalation of A9-3408 in patients with MC1R-positive melanoma, who have progressed on standard-of-care therapies.
This milestone advances Alpha-9's melanoma program, which first entered the clinic last year with A9-3202, a Gallium-68-based imaging agent used to assess MC1R expression and identify patients for the A9-3408 therapeutic study.
"Dosing the first patient with our MC1R radiotherapeutic marks an important milestone for the company and validates our internal R&D platform," said Paul Blanchfield, Chief Executive Officer, Alpha-9 Oncology. "We are excited to have initiated trials for our first therapeutic program and look forward to advancing additional best-in-class assets into the clinic as we aim to bring novel, life-improving treatments to people living with cancer."
"MC1R is an ideal target due to its high expression in melanoma and limited presence in healthy tissue," said Robert Meehan, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Alpha-9. "Despite advances in immunotherapy, significant unmet needs remain for patients who progress on current standard of care. In our A9-3202 imaging study, 92% of patients had strong MC1R expression after progression on immunotherapy, demonstrating the potential for this program to provide a new modality for patients."
Dr. Meehan recently joined Alpha-9 as Chief Medical Officer, bringing progressive leadership experience in biopharma and biotechnology, specializing in the creation of complex, novel development programs. Dr. Meehan is a board-certified physician trained in hematology and oncology, with expertise in all phases of drug development across multiple modalities. Prior to Alpha-9, Dr. Meehan was the Senior Vice President, Clinical Development at Dragonfly Therapeutics, held multiple senior clinical leadership roles at Moderna, and was a staff clinician in the Developmental Therapeutics Clinic at the National Cancer Institute.
Alpha-9's platform is built on a systematic approach to molecule design, optimizing binders, linkers, and chelators to create radiotherapeutics with superior uptake and retention in tumors while minimizing off-target effects. The advancement of the MC1R program highlights the company's capability to develop best-in-class molecules and deliver on the promise of precision oncology.
About Alpha-9 Oncology
Alpha-9 Oncology is a clinical-stage radiotherapeutic company developing a pipeline of novel molecules with the potential to meaningfully improve the treatment of people living with cancer. Applying proprietary technologies, deep foundational expertise, and the ability to work with multiple isotopes, Alpha-9 engineers and optimizes novel radiotherapeutics to selectively deliver tumor-killing radiation while minimizing off-target effects.
For more information, please visit www.a9oncology.com.
Alpha-9 Contact
Corporate Communications
Stephen Mitchener
Phone: +1 617 865 1004
Email: smitchener@a9oncology.com
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SOURCE Alpha-9 Oncology, Inc.
