Prostate cancer is the second most-diagnosed cancer in men globally and remains a leading cause of cancer death once it progresses to the metastatic castration-resistant stage (mCRPC). Drug development for the disease has been transformed in the past decade by the discovery that prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), a transmembrane glycoprotein, is overexpressed in most prostate cancer cells regardless of differentiation state, making it a near-ideal target for peptide-guided therapies.
The first prostate cancer breakthrough from the peptide field came with Novartis's Pluvicto (lutetium-177 PSMA-617), a small-molecule peptide ligand conjugated to a lutetium-177 radioisotope that delivers internal radiation to PSMA-positive cells. The Phase 3 VISION trial led to FDA approval in March 2022 for mCRPC patients who had progressed after androgen-receptor inhibition and taxane chemotherapy. Pluvicto generated more than $1B in 2024 sales and remains the only approved prostate-cancer radioligand.
The next wave of programs targets PSMA in combination with secondary cancer markers. MultiValent Biotherapies, which launched on June 16, 2026 with a $27M Series A financing, is advancing MVB-101, a PSMA × folate-receptor-alpha (FRα) dual-target peptide-drug conjugate licensed from Coherent Biopharma. A Phase 1b/2a in prostate cancer starts Q3 2026. Other PSMA-directed peptide and small-molecule programs are advancing across multiple sponsors.
Stories here cover prostate-cancer peptide therapies and the PSMA-targeted competitive set. See [[psma]], [[peptide-drug-conjugate]], and [[mvb-101]] for adjacent threads.
MultiValent Biotherapies announced June 16 a first closing of $27.425 million in Series A financing to advance MVB-101, a PSMA × folate-receptor-alpha (FRα) dual-target peptide-drug conjugate licensed from China-based Coherent Biopharma (originally CBP-1018). MVB-101 binds two validated prostate-cancer targets simultaneously; existing PDCs and radioligand therapies (Pluvicto, Lutathera) hit one target each. MultiValent holds exclusive global rights outside greater China. A Phase 1b/2a clinical trial in a subgroup of prostate cancer patients is planned to start in Q3 2026. The launch adds another oncology PDC to a field still dominated by Pluvicto (lutetium-177 PSMA-617), Lutathera, and Pfizer's AVA6000 FAP-Dox.
BriaCell announced May 14 it has completed manufacturing of clinical supplies for Bria-PROS+, the company's prostate cancer cell-based immunotherapy candidate, positioning the program for an IND filing and Phase 1/2 initiation later in 2026. On May 13, BriaCell added Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center as a clinical site for the pivotal Phase 3 Bria-IMT metastatic breast cancer study, bringing the trial-site network to include Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven and Los Angeles Cancer Network. The two announcements come ahead of BriaCell's six accepted ASCO 2026 abstract presentations on Bria-IMT and Bria-OTS+ in metastatic breast cancer, scheduled for the May 29-June 2 Chicago meeting. The May 6 FDA clearance for the Bria-BRES+ clinical study completes a busy two-week operational cadence for the company.
BriaCell announced April 21 preclinical results from its next-generation Bria-OTS+ personalized peptide immunotherapy at the AACR 2026 Annual Meeting. The platform pairs HLA-matched whole-cell allogeneic immunotherapy with peptide-mediated antigen targeting, building on the Bria-IMT clinical foundation in heavily pretreated metastatic breast cancer. Based on the preclinical anti-cancer activity, BriaCell plans to enter the clinic for metastatic breast cancer and prostate cancer indications later in 2026, with lung cancer and melanoma planned for 2027. The program adds to a peptide-immuno-oncology pipeline that includes the Bria-IMT Phase 3 and the company's six accepted ASCO 2026 presentations covering survival data, biomarkers, and quality-of-life endpoints.