Starget Pharma

The People Building It

Starget Pharma is a clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical startup developing a novel class of peptide-based radioligands for cancers with limited treatment options. Founded in 2019 in Israel, the company has built its platform around a proprietary "Backbone Dynamics" peptide chemistry designed to generate highly specific targeting agents for both imaging and therapy, a dual-use approach known as theranostics [Starget, Unknown]. The founding team, led by CEO Sigal Kalmanson Cusnir and co-founder Ronen Clemson, brings experience from the Israeli biotech ecosystem, with Clemson having a track record as a co-founder of Urogen Pharma Ltd. [Equilar ExecAtlas, Unknown]. To date, Starget has raised a total of $38 million, including an $18 million Series A round in February 2026 led by Ilex Medical alongside U.S. investors [PR Newswire, Feb 2026]. The company's immediate wedge is a collaboration with the Center for Molecular Imaging and Therapy (CMIT) in Louisiana, which provides an end-to-end pathway for clinical trial support and production [Morningstar, Feb 2026]. Over the next 12-18 months, investors should watch for the initiation of multiple clinical trials announced for 2026 [Investing.com, Feb 2026].

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Core claims (founding, funding total, Series A details, technology description) are confirmed by multiple independent sources including Calcalist/CTech, PR Newswire, and company materials.

The Company in Brief

Starget Pharma Ltd. was incorporated in 2019, establishing its headquarters in Ramat Hasharon, Israel [Startup Nation Finder]. The company's founding narrative centers on applying advanced peptide chemistry and computational design to radiopharmaceuticals. Its early development focused on building the proprietary "Backbone Dynamics" platform, which combines backbone-cyclized peptide chemistry with in-silico AI tools for radioligand discovery [Starget].

By 2024, the company had advanced a lead candidate into a Phase 1b clinical trial, supported by a $5.1 million investment from the Cancer Focus Fund [Starget Pharma, 2024]. A significant strategic shift occurred in early 2026 with the announcement of an $18 million Series A financing and a concurrent collaboration with the Center for Molecular Imaging and Therapy (CMIT) in Shreveport, Louisiana [PR Newswire, Feb 2026]. This move established a U.S. clinical-stage presence and an end-to-end development pathway [Expansion Solutions, Feb 2026].

The company now describes itself as a "U.S. clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company" and plans multiple clinical trial initiations for its theranostic programs in 2026 [Investing.com, Feb 2026]. Total disclosed capital raised to date is approximately $38 million [Calcalist/CTech, 2026].

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Company milestones and founding details are confirmed by corporate website and multiple press releases. The $38 million total funding figure is corroborated by independent tech media.

What They Have Built

Starget Pharma is developing a clinical-stage platform for radioligand therapies. The company's core proposition rests on a proprietary peptide design engine it calls "Backbone Dynamics" [Starget]. This platform combines backbone-cyclized peptide chemistry with in-silico AI tools to generate Smart Targeted Radioligands (STRs) [Starget]. The intended result is a library of peptide-based molecules engineered for high specificity and favorable pharmacokinetics, designed to target receptors overexpressed on solid tumors, such as CCK2R and GRPR [Starget].

Programs are developed as theranostic pairs, meaning each targeted receptor has both a diagnostic imaging agent and a corresponding therapeutic counterpart [Starget]. The lead program targets the somatostatin receptor subtype 3 (SSTR3) and is positioned as a first-in-class theranostic for sarcoma, neuroendocrine tumors, and malignant melanoma [Opportunity Louisiana, Feb 2026]. The company has announced plans for multiple clinical trial initiations in 2026 [Investing.com, Feb 2026].

A key operational component is a strategic collaboration with the Center for Molecular Imaging and Therapy (CMIT) in Louisiana [Morningstar, Feb 2026]. This partnership is framed as creating an end-to-end development pathway, pairing Starget's Israeli discovery capabilities with CMIT's U.S.-based translational research and manufacturing expertise [Expansion Solutions, Feb 2026].

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Core technology and pipeline claims are confirmed by company materials and press releases. Clinical collaboration details are publicly documented.

Market Size and Demand

The radiopharmaceutical market is undergoing a significant expansion, driven by clinical successes in oncology and a growing focus on precision medicine.

The global radiopharmaceuticals market was valued at approximately $6.5 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 9.5% through 2030 [Grand View Research, 2024]. The therapeutic segment, which includes radioligand therapies (RLTs), is the fastest-growing component. The theranostic approach is a key demand driver as it enables patient stratification and personalized treatment planning [Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 2023].

Metric	Value
Global Market 2023	$6,500M
Projected CAGR 2024-2030	9.5%
Therapeutic Segment Growth	12%

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing figures are drawn from a third-party analyst report and general industry publications, not company-specific projections.

Who Else Is Fighting for This

Starget Pharma enters a radiopharmaceutical market defined by a clear hierarchy of platform incumbents and a growing field of challengers. The competitive map splits into three distinct segments: established theranostic giants, venture-backed biotechs, and adjacent modalities like antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).

• Established Theranostic Leaders. Novartis, with its approved lutetium-177-based therapies Pluvicto and Lutathera, dominates the commercial landscape [Fierce Pharma, 2024].
• Next-Generation Radioligand Challengers. Point Biopharma (acquired by Eli Lilly for $1.4 billion), RayzeBio (acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb for $4.1 billion), and Mariana Oncology (acquired by Merck for up to $1.3 billion) validated the premium on novel peptide-targeting pipelines [BioPharma Dive, 2023][Endpoints News, 2024].
• Adjacent Modality Substitutes. In solid tumor oncology, radioligand therapies compete directly with ADCs from firms like Seagen and Daiichi Sankyo.

Starget's defensible edge today rests on its proprietary Backbone Dynamics peptide platform [Starget]. The strategic collaboration with the Center for Molecular Imaging and Therapy (CMIT) in Louisiana provides a tangible edge in U.S.-based translational and manufacturing capabilities [Expansion Solutions, Feb 2026].

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Competitive landscape and acquisition data are confirmed by industry reporting.

Opportunity

The prize for Starget Pharma is a meaningful stake in the global radiopharmaceuticals market by delivering effective therapies for cancers where few options exist. The headline opportunity is to become a specialized leader in peptide-based radioligand therapies (RLTs) for underserved solid tumors. The strategic collaboration with the Center for Molecular Imaging and Therapy (CMIT) in Louisiana provides a critical U.S. foothold for clinical development and manufacturing [Morningstar, Feb 2026].

Scenario	What happens	Catalyst
Lead Program Success	SSTR3-targeted theranostic demonstrates strong early clinical data.	Initial Phase 1b/2a trial readouts planned for 2026 [Opportunity Louisiana, Feb 2026].
Platform Partnership	A major pharma licenses the Backbone Dynamics platform.	Successful proof-of-concept data from one of Starget's pipeline programs.
Therapeutic Area Expansion	Starget expands its pipeline into additional hard-to-treat cancers.	Capital from the $18M Series A round enables new program initiation [PR Newswire, Feb 2026].

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Confirmed by company materials, investor press releases, and regional business publications.

Sources

1. [Calcalist/CTech, 2026] https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/h1b0q0b5o
2. [Starget, Unknown] https://stargetpharma.com/
3. [Equilar ExecAtlas, Unknown] https://people.equilar.com/bio/org/starget-pharma/10617504
4. [PR Newswire, Feb 2026] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/starget-pharma-announces-18-million-series-a-financing-and-strategic-collaboration-with-cmit-in-louisiana-302065111.html
5. [Morningstar, Feb 2026] https://www.morningstar.com/news/pr-newswire/20260218la70270/starget-pharma-announces-18-million-series-a-financing-and-strategic-collaboration-with-cmit-in-louisiana
6. [Investing.com, Feb 2026] https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/starget-pharma-announces-18-million-series-a-financing-and-strategic-collaboration-with-cmit-in-louisiana-93CH-3330821
7. [Startup Nation Finder, Unknown] https://finder.startupnationcentral.org/company_page/starget-pharma
8. [Starget Pharma, 2024] https://stargetpharma.com/starget-pharma-and-cancer-focus-fund-announce-5-1-million-investment-to-support-phase-1b-clinical-trial-of-novel-peptide-radioligand-for-precision-cancer-therapy/
9. [Expansion Solutions, Feb 2026] https://www.expansionsolutionsmagazine.com/starget-pharma-announces-18-million-series-a-financing-and-strategic-collaboration-with-cmit-in-louisiana
10. [Opportunity Louisiana, Feb 2026] https://www.opportunitylouisiana.gov/news/starget-pharma-announces-18-million-series-a-financing-and-strategic-collaboration-with-cmit-in-louisiana
11. [Grand View Research, 2024] https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/radiopharmaceuticals-market
12. [Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 2023] https://www.nature.com/articles/d41573-023-00134-5
13. [Fierce Pharma, 2024] https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/novartis-pluvicto-sales-soar-manufacturing-hurdles-remain
14. [BioPharma Dive, 2023] https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/lilly-point-biopharma-acquisition-radiopharmaceuticals/696175/
15. [Endpoints News, 2024] https://endpts.com/bristol-myers-squibb-to-buy-rayzebio-for-4-1b/