Alessa’s Enolen Phase 1 poster wins top award at AUA meeting

By AI, Created 9:01 PM UTC, May 28, 2026, /AGP/ – Alessa Therapeutics said its Enolen Phase 1 study poster received a “Best Poster” award at the 2026 American Urological Association Annual Meeting in San Diego. The recognition follows early data showing localized enzalutamide delivery in prostate cancer patients with high intraprostatic drug levels, minimal systemic exposure and no delay to surgery.

Why it matters: - The award puts a spotlight on Alessa Therapeutics’ localized prostate cancer drug-delivery approach. - The Phase 1 data suggest Enolen may deliver cancer treatment directly to the prostate while limiting systemic side effects tied to anti-androgen therapy. - The findings could shape the next stage of development for men with low- to intermediate-risk localized prostate cancer.

What happened: - Alessa Therapeutics announced that its presentation of preliminary Phase 1 data for Enolen received a “Best Poster” award at the 2026 American Urological Association Annual Meeting. - The poster was presented on May 16, 2026, by Braden Millan, M.D., MSc, FRCSC, a urologic oncology fellow at the National Cancer Institute. - Peter Pinto, M.D., chief of the NCI Prostate Cancer Division, served as principal investigator for the study. - The recognized poster covered the study, “A Phase 1 Safety, PK and Preliminary Efficacy Study of Localized Therapy Using Enolen (Enzalutamide) Implants for Early-Stage Prostate Cancer.” - The poster was selected for recognition from more than 2,500 presentations at the meeting.

The details: - Enolen is Alessa’s lead product candidate for low- to intermediate-risk localized prostate cancer. - All 20 patients enrolled in Cohort A were successfully implanted. - The implants produced very high intraprostatic enzalutamide levels with minimal systemic drug exposure. - The implants did not delay surgery. - Pre-prostatectomy MRI scans in 20 patients showed tumor-volume reduction in 86% of lesions over an average of 36 days. - The study reported no effects on testosterone levels and no negative effects on sexual function. - Reported side effects were consistent with a biopsy-like procedure. - The study found no impact on future surgery or imaging. - Enolen is being studied in a Phase 1/1b trial for safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy in men with localized prostate cancer undergoing prostatectomy. - Enolen recently received Fast Track designation from the U.S. FDA. - The designation is intended to speed development and review for products treating serious or life-threatening conditions with unmet medical need.

Between the lines: - The award gives Alessa an external validation point, but the core story is still early clinical data from a small Phase 1 cohort. - The trial’s local delivery strategy aims to preserve anti-cancer activity while avoiding the fatigue, sexual dysfunction, muscle loss, cognitive issues, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular events linked to systemic anti-androgen and testosterone-lowering drugs. - Pamela Munster, M.D., Alessa’s chief scientific advisor and founder, said the study is the first to show enzalutamide can be safely and locally administered to the prostate via sustained drug-eluting implants. - Munster also said two additional cohorts are underway in the Phase 1 trial. - The company says preclinical and clinical work to date supports durable, continuous release of anti-cancer agents with high local drug concentrations and fewer side effects from systemic exposure. - Alessa was founded in 2018 and says its implants are about the size of a grain of rice and can provide two or more years of continuous drug elution directly to diseased tissue. - The company was developed by Dr. Pamela Munster and her team at the University of California, San Francisco, and is backed by Cure Ventures and Mission BioCapital.

What’s next: - Alessa plans to share updates as the two additional cohorts in the Phase 1 trial move forward. - The ongoing Phase 1/1b study will continue evaluating Enolen’s safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy in localized prostate cancer. - Continued clinical readouts will help determine whether the implant platform can advance beyond early-stage testing.

The bottom line: - Alessa’s award-winning poster adds momentum to a prostate cancer approach designed to deliver treatment where it is needed most and reduce the systemic burden of therapy.