Financing of up to $140 Million Supports Confirmatory Study and NDA Filing for Accelerated Approval of Iopofosine I 131 in Waldenström Macroglobulinemia with the FDA
Andrew Gu of Nantahala Capital Management, LLC to Join the Company's Board of Directors Upon Closing
FLORHAM PARK, N.J., May 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cellectar Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLRB), a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of targeted oncology therapies, today announced that it has entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain institutional investors, and an additional securities purchase agreement with certain members of management, to issue and sell up to an aggregate of approximately $35 million upfront and $105 million in milestone-based securities in a registered direct offering of common stock and a concurrent private placement of common stock, pre-funded warrants, and milestone-based warrants.
The oversubscribed financing was led by Nantahala Capital Management, with participation from Balyasny Asset Management, Caligan Partners, Janus Henderson Investors, SilverArc Capital Management, Stonepine Capital Management, Stempoint Capital LP, Empery Asset Management LP, and other dedicated healthcare funds along with members of the executive management team.
Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. acted as exclusive placement agent for the financing.
"We are highly encouraged by the strong demand for this financing and the support from a distinguished group of leading healthcare-focused investors who recognize both the urgent need for new treatment options for patients with Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) and the promise of iopofosine I 131," said James Caruso, president and chief executive officer of Cellectar Biosciences. "This oversubscribed financing provides important validation of our strategy to pursue accelerated approval in the US and conditional marketing approval in Europe for iopofosine, while supporting our plans to initiate a global confirmatory study in the fourth quarter of 2026. Importantly, this funding also underscores the strength of our proprietary Phospholipid Drug Conjugate™ (PDC) delivery platform and enables continued advancement of CLR 125, our differentiated Auger-emitting program for triple-negative breast cancer. Together, these efforts position us to deliver meaningful impact for patients with significant unmet medical needs while driving long-term value for our stakeholders."
In connection with the transaction, Andrew Gu of Nantahala Capital Management, LLC will join Cellectar's Board of Directors upon closing.
Andrew Gu of Nantahala stated, "Waldenström macroglobulinemia is a rare hematologic malignancy, and Cellectar has built a meaningful body of clinical evidence for iopofosine I 131 across multiple Phase 2 studies in this patient population. I look forward to working with Jim and the team as a member of the Board."
Andrew Gu is an analyst at Nantahala, focused on investments in the biotechnology sector. Prior to joining Nantahala in 2021, Mr. Gu graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Roy and Diana Vagelos Life Sciences and Management (LSM) Program in 2021 with a B.S. in Economics (Finance concentration) from the Wharton School and ...
