Revolutionizing early-stage prostate cancer care
Alessa Therapeutics is developing a proprietary drug-delivery platform for sustained and localized release of clinically proven therapies to effectively treat early-stage prostate cancer
The Most Common Male Cancer
Each year, over a million men worldwide are diagnosed with localized prostate cancer with limited treatment options.
Alessa’s Focus
There is an immediate need for a therapy that has fewer side effects for those men who are not well served with active surveillance for their high risk of progression.
Team
Alessa Therapeutics was founded by Dr. Pamela Munster and her team at the UCSF Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, with a shared mission to create innovative advancements in oncology and the treatment of solid organ diseases.
Mr. Gallagher has over 33 years of experience as a biotech executive and serial entrepreneur. He was previously Co-Founder, President & Board Member at Zentalis Pharmaceuticals. He also co-founded Zavante and Ray Therapeutics. He currently serves as board member of Opus Genetics (Chair), Crosslink Therapeutics (Chair) and SelectION. He previously served on the boards of VelosBio (acquired by Merck), Retrosense Therapeutics (acquired by Allergan), Ray Therapeutics and Immusoft.
Pamela Munster, MD
Founder, Director & Chief Scientific Advisor
Dr Munster is the Founder, Chief Scientific Advisor and a Director of Alessa. She is a NCI-funded physician-scientist and practicing oncologist with 30 years of experience in early drug development and translating research discoveries into clinical testing. As the director of the Phase I program at UCSF and program leader for Molecular Oncology and Hereditary Cancer she has been the Principle Investigator of over 400 clinical trials. She is extensively published and serves as a scientific advisor to multiple pharmaceutical companies including ArtBio, Immunoscape, Kumquat, Caris, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, JNJ, Merck and others.
Dr. Collins leads business development and strategic planning at Alessa. At Mission BioCapital, Zach has managed over a dozen investments and served in several interim executive roles across therapeutic areas. Prominent investments Zach led or supported include SiteOne Therapeutics (acquired by Eli Lilly), Vedere Bio (acquired by Novartis), and Nuvig Therapeutics.
Dr. Rairkar has over 22 years of experience leading drug–device combination development from concept to regulatory approval. She has held senior CMC roles at Antiva Biosciences, Chrono Therapeutics, Incline Therapeutics (acquired by The Medicines Company), Alza (a Johnson & Johnson company), and Discovery Laboratories, driving innovation and operational excellence across every stage of development.
Bonnie Wettersten has over 20 years of experience offering strategic direction and coordination of global clinical operations in oncology. Prior to joining the Alessa Team, Bonnie was the Global Clinical Operations Head at OSIPharmaceuticals (acquired by Astellas Pharmaceuticals), GlaxoSmithKline (Therapy Area Head), and Aventis Pharma (acquired by Sanofi).
Mr. Gallagher has over 33 years of experience as a biotech executive and serial entrepreneur. He was previously Co-Founder, President & Board Member at Zentalis Pharmaceuticals. He also co-founded Zavante and Ray Therapeutics. He currently serves as board member of Opus Genetics (Chair), Crosslink Therapeutics (Chair) and SelectION. He previously served on the boards of VelosBio (acquired by Merck), Retrosense Therapeutics (acquired by Allergan), Ray Therapeutics and Immusoft.
Pamela Munster, MD
Founder, Director & Chief Scientific Advisor
Dr Munster is the Founder, Chief Scientific Advisor and a Director of Alessa. She is a NCI-funded physician-scientist and practicing oncologist with 30 years of experience in early drug development and translating research discoveries into clinical testing. As the director of the Phase I program at UCSF and program leader for Molecular Oncology and Hereditary Cancer she has been the Principle Investigator of over 400 clinical trials. She is extensively published and serves as a scientific advisor to multiple pharmaceutical companies including ArtBio, Immunoscape, Kumquat, Caris, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, JNJ, Merck and others.
Mr. Gallagher has over 33 years of experience as a biotech executive and serial entrepreneur. He was previously Co-Founder, President & Board Member at Zentalis Pharmaceuticals. He also co-founded Zavante and Ray Therapeutics. He currently serves as board member of Opus Genetics (Chair), Crosslink Therapeutics (Chair) and SelectION. He previously served on the boards of VelosBio (acquired by Merck), Retrosense Therapeutics (acquired by Allergan), Ray Therapeutics and Immusoft.
Pamela Munster, MD
Founder, Director & Chief Scientific Advisor
Dr Munster is the Founder, Chief Scientific Advisor and a Director of Alessa. She is a NCI-funded physician-scientist and practicing oncologist with 30 years of experience in early drug development and translating research discoveries into clinical testing. As the director of the Phase I program at UCSF and program leader for Molecular Oncology and Hereditary Cancer she has been the Principle Investigator of over 400 clinical trials. She is extensively published and serves as a scientific advisor to multiple pharmaceutical companies including ArtBio, Immunoscape, Kumquat, Caris, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, JNJ, Merck and others.
Dr. Collins leads business development and strategic planning at Alessa. At Mission BioCapital, Zach has managed over a dozen investments and served in several interim executive roles across therapeutic areas. Prominent investments Zach led or supported include SiteOne Therapeutics (acquired by Eli Lilly), Vedere Bio (acquired by Novartis), and Nuvig Therapeutics.
Dr. Rairkar has over 22 years of experience leading drug–device combination development from concept to regulatory approval. She has held senior CMC roles at Antiva Biosciences, Chrono Therapeutics, Incline Therapeutics (acquired by The Medicines Company), Alza (a Johnson & Johnson company), and Discovery Laboratories, driving innovation and operational excellence across every stage of development.
Bonnie Wettersten has over 20 years of experience offering strategic direction and coordination of global clinical operations in oncology. Prior to joining the Alessa Team, Bonnie was the Global Clinical Operations Head at OSIPharmaceuticals (acquired by Astellas Pharmaceuticals), GlaxoSmithKline (Therapy Area Head), and Aventis Pharma (acquired by Sanofi).
Investors
Alessa Drug Delivery System Overview
- Local drug delivery – potentially eliminates chemical castration-like side effects common to many effective prostate cancer therapies
- <30-minute outpatient procedure using equipment for routine biopsy
- Continuous drug release for 2+ years
- High loading capacity of up to 80% drug in candidate formulations
- All individual components have long track records of human safety
News
- News
- January 8, 2026
Alessa Therapeutics Announces FDA Fast Track Designation for Enolen, A First-Of-Its-Kind Treatment for Localized Prostate Cancer
Fast Track Designation Highlights Potential of Enolen to Address Unmet Medical Need for Patients with Low to Intermediate Risk, Localized Prostate Cancer Company Expects to Provide Initial Findings from Enolen’s Phase 1 Trial Later This Year SAN CARLOS, CA – January 8, 2026 – Alessa Therapeutics (“Alessa”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing novel localized drug […]
- Press Releases
- January 7, 2026
Alessa Therapeutics to Present at the 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference
SAN CARLOS, CA – January 7, 2026 – Alessa Therapeutics (“Alessa”), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company advancing novel localized drug delivery technology for the treatment of early-stage prostate cancers, today announced that the Company will be presenting at the 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, being held at The Westin St. Francis Hotel in San […]
