CLRB Cellectar Biosciences Inc

Table of Contents

​

​

​

U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

[mark one]

For the quarterly period ended: March 31, 2024

For the transition period from ______________ to ______________

Commission File Number 1-36598

​

CELLECTAR BIOSCIENCES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

​

100 Campus Drive

Florham Park, New Jersey 07932

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

(608) 441-8120

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

​

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

​

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

Number of shares outstanding of the issuer’s common stock as of the latest practicable date: 35,848,924 shares of common stock, $0.00001 par value per share, as of May 8, 2024.

​

​

​

​

Table of Contents

CELLECTAR BIOSCIENCES, INC.

FORM 10-Q INDEX

​

​

​

​

​

Table of Contents

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Cellectar Biosciences, Inc. (the “Company”, “Cellectar”, “we”, “us”, “our”) contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which we refer to as the Exchange Act. Examples of our forward-looking statements include:

In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology, such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “estimates,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “may,” “should,” “could”, “would” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. Accordingly, these statements involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in them. Forward-looking statements also involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. Any forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed throughout this quarterly report.

You should read this report completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. You should assume that the information appearing in this report is accurate as of the date hereof only. Because the risk factors referred to herein could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking

3

Table of Contents

statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict which factors will arise. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.

This quarterly report on Form 10-Q contains trademarks and service marks of Cellectar Biosciences, Inc. Unless otherwise provided in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q, trademarks identified by ™ are trademarks of Cellectar Biosciences, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

​

4

Table of Contents

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

CELLECTAR BIOSCIENCES, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Unaudited)

​

​

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

​

5

Table of Contents

CELLECTAR BIOSCIENCES, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(Unaudited)

​

​

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

​

6

Table of Contents

CELLECTAR BIOSCIENCES, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)

(Unaudited)

​

​

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

​

7

Table of Contents

CELLECTAR BIOSCIENCES, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(UNAUDITED)

​

​

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

​

8

Table of Contents

CELLECTAR BIOSCIENCES, INC.

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

9

Table of Contents

10

Table of Contents

​

​

11

Table of Contents

12

Table of Contents

13

Table of Contents

​

14

Table of Contents

​

15

Table of Contents

​

16

Table of Contents

​

​

17

Table of Contents

​

​

18

Table of Contents

​

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Overview

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with the unaudited financial information and notes thereto included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business, include forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. As a result of many factors, including those factors set forth in the “Risk Factors” section in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, our actual results could differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis.

We are a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of drugs for the treatment of cancer. Our core objective is to leverage our proprietary phospholipid ether drug conjugate™ (PDC™) delivery platform to develop PDCs that are designed to specifically target cancer cells and deliver improved efficacy and better safety as a result of fewer off-target effects. We believe that our PDC platform possesses the potential for the discovery and development of the next generation of cancer-targeting treatments, and we plan to develop PDCs both independently and through research and development collaborations.

Our lead PDC therapeutic, iopofosine I 131 (iopofosine) is a small-molecule PDC designed to provide targeted delivery of iodine-131 directly to cancer cells, while limiting exposure to healthy cells. We believe this profile differentiates iopofosine from many traditional on-market treatments and radiotherapeutics. Our CLOVER-WaM Phase 2 pivotal study of iopofosine in patients with relapsed/refractory (r/r) Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia (WM) has completed, and our Phase 2b studies in r/r multiple myeloma (MM) patients and r/r central nervous system lymphoma (CNSL) are ongoing. The CLOVER-2 Phase 1a study for a variety of pediatric cancers has concluded and a Phase 1b study in pediatric patients with high grade glioma is enrolling. Additionally, a Phase 1 Investigator-initiated study conducted by the University of Wisconsin Madison of iopofosine I 131 in combination with external beam radiation in patients with recurrent head and neck cancer has also completed. As with all clinical trials, adverse events, serious adverse events or fatalities may arise during a clinical trial resulting from medical problems that may not be related to clinical trial treatments.

The CLOVER-1 Phase 2 study, conducted in r/r B-cell malignancies, met the primary efficacy endpoints from the Part A dose-finding portion. The CLOVER-1 Phase 2b study, where iopofosine remains under further evaluation in highly refractory MM and CNSL patients, is ongoing.

The CLOVER-WaM study was a pivotal registration study evaluating iopofosine in WM patients that were r/r to at least two prior lines of therapy including having failed or had a suboptimal response to a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi). The study completed enrollment in the fourth quarter of 2023, and initial top line data from the study was reported in January 2024. CLOVER-WaM was a single-arm study with a target enrollment of 50 patients. Topline safety data was reported on 45 patients meeting criteria for the modified Intent to Treat (mITT) population with a data cut-off date of January 3, 2024. Topline efficacy evaluable population (41) is defined as patients who are in the mITT and had follow up of at least 60 days post last dose. The CLOVER-WaM study met its primary endpoint with a major response rate (MRR) of 61% (95% confidence interval [44.50%, 75.80%, two-sided p value < 0.0001]) exceeding the FDA agreed-upon statistical hurdle of 20%. The overall response rate (ORR) in evaluable patients was 75.6%, and 100% of patients experienced disease control. Responses were durable, with median duration of response not reached and 76% of patients remaining progression free at a median follow-up of eight months. These outcomes exceed real world data, which demonstrate a 4-12% MRR and a duration of response of approximately six months or less despite continuous treatment in a patient population that is less pretreated and not refractory to multiple classes of drugs. Notably, iopofosine I 131 monotherapy achieved an 7.3% complete remission (CR) rate in this highly refractory WM population. Iopofosine I 131 was well tolerated and its toxicity profile was consistent with the Company’s previously reported safety data. There were no treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) leading to discontinuation. The rates of Grade 3 or greater TRAEs observed in more than 10% of patients included thrombocytopenia (55%), neutropenia (37%), and anemia (26%). All patients recovered from cytopenias with no reported aplastic sequalae. Importantly, there were no clinically significant bleeding events, and the rate of febrile neutropenia was 2%. There were no treatment-related deaths in the study.

The CLOVER-2 Phase 1a pediatric study was an open-label, sequential-group, dose-escalation study to evaluate the safety and tolerability of iopofosine in children and adolescents with relapsed or refractory malignant solid tumors (neuroblastoma, Ewing’s sarcoma, osteosarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma) and lymphoma or recurrent or refractory malignant brain tumors (high grade glioma,

19

Table of Contents

glioblastoma, etc.) for which there are no standard treatments. The study was conducted internationally at seven leading pediatric cancer centers. The CLOVER-2 Phase 1b pediatric study is an open-label, dose finding study evaluating the activity of two different doses and dosing regimens of iopofosine in children and adolescents with r/r malignant brain tumors (high grade gliomas). This study is partially funded (~$2M) by a National Institutes of Health SBIR grant from the National Cancer Institute.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted iopofosine Fast Track Designation for lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) and WM patients having received two or more prior treatment regimens, as well as r/r MM and r/r diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Orphan Drug Designations (ODDs) have been granted for LPL/WM, MM, neuroblastoma, soft tissue sarcomas including rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma and osteosarcoma. Iopofosine was also granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation (RPDD) for the treatment of neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma and osteosarcoma. The European Commission granted ODD to iopofosine for treatment of r/r MM and WM, as well as PRIME designation for WM.

Additionally, in June 2020, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) granted us Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise (SME) status by the EMA’s Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprise office. SME status allows us to participate in significant financial incentives that include a 90% to 100% EMA fee reduction for scientific advice, clinical study protocol design, endpoints and statistical considerations, quality inspections of facilities and fee waivers for selective EMA pre-and post-authorization regulatory filings, including orphan drug and PRIME designations. We are also eligible to obtain EMA certification of quality and manufacturing data prior to review of clinical data. Other financial incentives include EMA-provided translational services of all regulatory documents required for market authorization, further reducing the financial burden of the market authorization process.

Our product pipeline also includes a PDC-based targeted alpha-emitter therapy utilizing actinium-225 as the payload (CLR121225) currently in IND enabling studies. We are also evaluating other alpha emitting isotopes such as astatine-211 and lead-212 preclinically. Additionally, our preclinical PDC programs include small molecule chemotherapeutic compounds, oligonucleotide programs and peptide conjugate programs as well as several partnered PDC assets. These other programs are being developed

primarily for solid tumors.

We have leveraged our PDC platform to establish three ongoing collaborations featuring four unique payloads and mechanisms of action. Through research and development collaborations, our strategy is to generate near-term capital, supplement internal resources, gain access to novel molecules or payloads, accelerate product candidate development, and broaden our proprietary and partnered product pipelines.

Our PDC platform is designed to provide selective delivery of a diverse range of oncologic payloads to cancerous cells, whether a hematologic cancer or solid tumor; a primary tumor, or a metastatic tumor; and cancer stem cells. The PDC platform’s mechanism of entry is designed not to rely upon a specific cell surface epitope or antigen as are required by other targeted delivery platforms but rather a unique change in the tumor cell membrane. Our PDC platform takes advantage of a metabolic pathway (beta oxidation) utilized by nearly all tumor cell types in all stages of the tumor cycle. Tumor cells modify the cell membrane to create specific, highly organized microdomains by which to transport lipids and long chain fatty acids into the cytoplasm, as a result of the utilization of this metabolic pathway. Our PDCs are designed to bind to these regions and directly enter the intracellular compartment. This mechanism allows the PDC molecules to accumulate in tumor cells over time, which we believe can enhance drug efficacy. The direct intracellular delivery allows our molecules to avoid the specialized, highly acidic cellular compartment known as lysosomes, which allows a PDC to deliver payloads that previously could not be delivered in this targeted manner. Additionally, molecules targeting specific cell surface epitopes face challenges in completely eliminating a tumor because the targeted antigens are limited in the total number presented on the cell surface, limiting total potential uptake and resulting in heterogenous uptake across the tumor, have longer cycling time from internalization to relocation on the cell surface, again diminishing their availability for binding, and are not present on all of the tumor cells because of the heterogenous nature of cancer cells, further increasing the unequal distribution of the drug across the tumor. This means a subpopulation of tumor cells always exists that cannot be addressed by therapies targeting specific surface epitopes. Additionally, the epitope utilized is also present on other normal tissue, resulting in off-target toxicities.

20

Table of Contents

Beyond the benefits provided by the mechanism of entry, the PDC platform features include the capacity to link with almost any molecule, provide a significant increase in targeted oncologic payload delivery, a more uniform delivery, and the ability to target all types of tumor cells. As a result, we believe that we can create PDCs to treat a broad range of cancers with the potential to improve the therapeutic index of oncologic drug payloads, enhance or maintain efficacy while also reducing adverse events by minimizing drug delivery to healthy cells, and increasing delivery to cancerous cells and cancer stem cells.

We employ a drug discovery and development approach that allows us to efficiently design, research and advance drug candidates. Our iterative process allows us to rapidly and systematically produce multiple generations of incrementally improved targeted drug candidates without the expense of having to generate significant compound libraries.

A description of our PDC product candidates follows:

Clinical Pipeline

Our lead PDC therapeutic, iopofosine, is a small-molecule PDC designed to provide targeted delivery of iodine-131 directly to cancer cells, while limiting exposure to healthy cells. We believe this profile differentiates iopofosine from many traditional on-market treatments and treatments in development. Iopofosine was recently evaluated in the completed CLOVER-WaM Phase 2 pivotal study in patients with r/r WM, while evaluation is ongoing in a Phase 2b study in r/r MM and CNS lymphoma patients and the CLOVER-2 Phase 1b study for pediatric patients with high grade gliomas. Adverse events across all studies have been largely restricted to fatigue (39%), and cytopenias; specifically, thrombocytopenia (75%), anemia (61%), neutropenia (54%), leukopenia (56%), and lymphopenia (34%). Fatalities have occurred in patients post-treatment with iopofosine.

The CLOVER-WaM pivotal Phase 2b study completed enrollment of WM patients that have received at least two previous lines of therapy including those that failed or had a suboptimal response to a BTKi therapy in 4Q 2023. Topline safety data was reported on 45 patients meeting the criteria for the mITT population with a data cut-off date of January 3, 2024. Topline efficacy evaluable population (n=41) was defined as patients who were in the mITT and had follow up of at least 60 days post last dose. The CLOVER-WaM study met its primary endpoint with a MRR of 61% (95% confidence interval [44.50%, 75.80%, two-sided p value < 0.0001]) exceeding the agreed-upon statistical hurdle of 20%. The ORR in evaluable patients was 75.6%, and 100% of patients experienced disease control. Responses were durable, with median duration of response not reached and 76% of patients remaining progression free at a median follow-up of eight months. These outcomes exceed real world data, which demonstrate a 4-12% MRR and a duration of response of approximately six months or less despite continuous treatment in a patient population that is less pretreated and not refractory to multiple classes of drugs. Notably, iopofosine monotherapy achieved a 7.3% complete remission (CR) rate in this highly refractory WM population. Iopofosine I 131 was well tolerated and its toxicity profile was consistent with the Company's previously reported safety data. There were no treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) leading to discontinuation. The rates of Grade 3 or greater TRAEs observed in more than 10% of patients included thrombocytopenia (55%), neutropenia (37%), and anemia (26%). All patients recovered from cytopenias with no reported aplastic sequalae. Importantly, there were no clinically significant bleeding events, and the rate of febrile neutropenia was 2%. There were no treatment-related deaths in the study.

The CLOVER-1 Phase 2 study met the primary efficacy endpoints from the Part A dose-finding portion, conducted in r/r B-cell malignancies, and is now enrolling an MM and CNSL expansion cohort (Phase 2b). The Phase 2b study will evaluate highly refractory MM patients in triple class, quad- and penta-drug refractory patients, including post-BCMA immunotherapy patients and r/r CNSL patients. The initial Investigational New Drug (IND) application was accepted by the FDA in March 2014 with multiple INDs submitted since that time. The Phase 1 study was designed to assess the compound’s safety and tolerability in patients with r/r MM and to determine maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and was initiated in April 2015. The study completed enrollment and the final clinical study report is expected in the first half of 2025. Initiated in March 2017, the primary goal of the Phase 2a study was to assess the compound’s efficacy in a broad range of hematologic cancers.

The CLOVER-2 Phase 1a pediatric study was conducted internationally at seven leading pediatric cancer centers. The study was an open-label, sequential-group, dose-escalation study to evaluate the safety and tolerability of iopofosine in children and adolescents with relapsed or refractory cancers, including malignant brain tumors, neuroblastoma, sarcomas, and lymphomas (including Hodgkin’s lymphoma). The maximum tolerated dose was determined to be greater than 60mCi/m² administered as a fractionated dose. CLOVER-2 Phase 1b study is an open-label, international dose-finding study evaluating two different doses and dosing regiments of iopofosine in r/r pediatric patients with high grade gliomas. These cancer types were selected for clinical, regulatory and commercial rationales, including the radiosensitive nature and continued unmet medical need in the r/r setting, and the rare disease determinations made by the FDA based upon the current definition within the Orphan Drug Act.

21

Table of Contents

In December 2014, the FDA granted ODD for iopofosine for the treatment of MM. In 2018, the FDA granted ODD and RPDD for iopofosine for the treatment of neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma, and osteosarcoma. In May 2019, the FDA granted Fast Track Designation for iopofosine for the treatment of MM and in July 2019 for the treatment of DLBCL. In September 2019 iopofosine received ODD from the European Union for MM. In December 2019, the FDA and the European Union each granted ODD for iopofosine for the treatment of WM. In September 2023, the European Union granted PRIME designation for iopofosine for the treatment of r/r WM. The FDA granted Fast Track designation for iopofosine for the treatment of r/r LPL and WM in May 2020.

As the result of iopofosine’s RPDD designation, we may be eligible to receive a priority review voucher (PRV) if the product receives approval for any of the treatment of neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma, or osteosarcoma. The FDA may award PRV to sponsors of a product application for a RPDD that meet its specified criteria. The key criteria to receiving PRV is that the drug be approved for a rare pediatric disease and treat a serious or life-threatening manifestation of the disease or condition that primarily affects individuals under the age of 18. In order to receive a PRV, a sponsor must obtain approval of a “rare pediatric disease product application,” which is a human drug application for prevention or treatment of a rare pediatric disease and which contains no active ingredient, including any ester or salt thereof, that has been approved by the FDA; is deemed eligible for priority review; is submitted under section 505(b)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) or section 351(a) of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA); relies on clinical data derived from studies examining a pediatric population and dosages of the drug intended for that population; does not seek approval for an adult indication in the original rare pediatric disease application; and is approved after September 30, 2016. Under this program, a sponsor who receives an approval for a drug or biologic for a rare pediatric disease can receive a PRV that can be redeemed to receive a priority review of a subsequent marketing application for a different product. Additionally, the PRV’s can be exchanged or sold to other companies so that the receiving company may use the voucher. Congress has only authorized the rare pediatric disease priority review voucher program until September 30, 2024. However, if a drug candidate receives RPDD before September 30, 2024, it is eligible to receive a voucher if it is approved before September 30, 2026.

CLOVER-WaM: Phase 2 Pivotal Study in: Patients with r/r Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia

We participated in a Type C guidance meeting with the FDA in September 2020. The results of that guidance meeting provided us with an agreed upon path for conducting the CLOVER-WaM study; a single arm, pivotal study in WM patients that have received and relapsed or were refractory to two prior lines of therapy, including having failed or had a suboptimal response to BTKi therapy. WM is a rare, indolent, and incurable form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) that is composed of a patient population in need of new and better treatment options.

The study enrolled 65 WM patients who have received at least two prior lines of therapy, failed both lines of therapy including having failed or had a suboptimal response to a BTKi (i.e. ibrutinib). Patients in the trial received 4-doses of iopofosine over two cycles (cycle one: days 1, 15, and cycle two: days 57, 71) with each dose administered as a 15mCi/m² infusion. The primary endpoint of the trial is major response rate (MRR) defined as a partial response (a minimum of a 50% reduction in IgM) or better in patients that receive a minimum total body dose (TBD) of 60 mCi with secondary endpoints of treatment-free survival (treatment-free remission), duration of response and progression-free survival. An independent data monitoring committee (iDMC) performed an interim safety and futility evaluation on the first 10 patients enrolled. If three of the 10 patients experienced a Clinically Significant Toxicity (CST) then the dose would have been reduced to 12.5 mCi/m². We believe this design aligned with the feedback received from the FDA during the guidance meeting held in September 2020 and subsequent interactions. The FDA accepted the dose to be tested, our proposal for a safety and futility assessment to be conducted on the first 10 patients, the endpoint to be assessed, the statistical analysis plan and study size of approximately 50 patients in the mITT population (>60mCi TBD). Based upon this agreement, the pivotal study was initiated. The interim futility and safety assessment occurred in 2022 and the iDMC determined the study exceeded the futility threshold and that the CST threshold was not met, therefore the study should continue to enroll with no change to the dosing regimen. The study achieved full enrollment in the fourth quarter 2023 and topline safety data was reported on 45 patients meeting the criteria for the mITT population with a data cut-off date of January 3, 2024. Among mITT patients, median age was 71 years, median IgM level prior to treatment with iopofosine was 2,185, 90% were refractory to either a BTKi (18/36 50%) or anti-CD20 therapy (18/41 40%), with 26.7% multiclass refractory, and 80% of patients were previously treated with a BTKi therapy. Topline efficacy evaluable population (n=41) was defined as patients who were in the mITT and had follow up of at least 60 days post last dose. The CLOVER WaM study met its primary endpoint with a major response rate (MRR) of 61% (95% confidence interval [44.50%, 75.80%, two-sided p value < 0.0001]) exceeding the agreed upon statistical hurdle of 20%. The overall response rate (ORR) in evaluable patients was 75.6%, and 100% of patients experienced disease control. Responses were durable, with median duration of response not reached and 76% of patients remaining progression free at a median follow-up of eight months. These outcomes exceed real world data, which demonstrate a 4-12% MRR and a duration of response of approximately six months or less despite continuous treatment in a patient population that is less pretreated and not refractory to multiple classes of drugs. Notably, iopofosine monotherapy achieved an 7.3% complete remission (CR) rate in this highly refractory WM population. Iopofosine I 131 was well tolerated and its toxicity profile was

22

Table of Contents

consistent with the Company’s previously reported safety data. There were no treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) leading to discontinuation. The rates of Grade 3 or greater TRAEs observed in more than 10% of patients included thrombocytopenia (55%), neutropenia (37%), and anemia (26%). All patients recovered from cytopenias with no reported aplastic sequalae. Importantly, there were no clinically significant bleeding events, and the rate of febrile neutropenia was 2%. There were no treatment-related deaths in the study.

CLOVER-1: Phase 2 Study in Select B-Cell Malignancies

The Phase 2 CLOVER-1 study was an open-label study designed to determine the efficacy and safety of CLR 131 in select B-cell malignancies (multiple myeloma (MM), indolent chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL)/Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia (WM), marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), DLBCL, and central nervous system lymphoma (CNSL) who have been previously treated with standard therapy for their underlying malignancy. As of March 2022, the study arms for CLL/SLL, LPL/WM, MZL, MCL, and DLBCL were closed. Dosing of patients varied by disease state cohort and was measured in terms of TBD.

In July 2016, we were awarded a $2,000,000 National Cancer Institute (NCI) Fast-Track Small Business Innovation Research grant to further advance the clinical development of iopofosine. The funds supported the Phase 2 study initiated in March 2017 to define the clinical benefits of iopofosine in r/r MM and other niche hematologic malignancies with unmet clinical need. These niche hematologic malignancies include CLL, SLL, MZL, LPL/WM and DLBCL. The study was conducted in approximately 10 U.S. cancer centers in patients with orphan-designated relapse or refractory hematologic cancers. The planned study enrollment was up to 80 patients.

The study’s primary endpoint was clinical benefit response (CBR), with secondary endpoints of ORR, PFS, time to next treatment (TtNT), median Overall Survival (mOS), DOR and other markers of efficacy following patients receiving one of three TBDs of iopofosine (<50mCi, ~50mCi and >60mCi), with the option for a second cycle approximately 75-180 days later. Dosages were provided either as a single bolus or fractionated (the assigned dose level split into two doses) given day 1 and day 15. Over the course of the study the dosing regimen of iopofosine advanced from a single bolus dose to two cycles of fractionated administrations of 15 mCi/m² per dose on days 1, 15 (cycle 1), and days 57, 71 (cycle 2). Adverse events occurring in at least 25% of subjects were fatigue (39%) and cytopenias, specifically, thrombocytopenia (75%), anemia (61%), neutropenia (54%), leukopenia (51%), and lymphopenia (25%). Serious adverse events occurring in greater than 5% of subjects were restricted to thrombocytopenia (9%) and febrile neutropenia (7.5%).

Phase 2a Study: Patients with r/r Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Cohort

Patients in the r/r WM cohort all received TBD of ≥ 60 mCi (25 mCi/m² single bolus, 31.25 mCi/m² fractionated, 37.5 mCi/m² fractionated, or two cycles of mCi/m² fractionated) either as a bolus dose or fractionated. Current data from our Phase 2a CLOVER-1 clinical study show a 100% ORR in six WM patients and an 83.3% major response rate with one patient achieving a complete response (CR), which reached 39 months post-last treatment. While median treatment free survival (TFS), also known as treatment free remission (TFR), and DOR have not been reached, the average treatment TFS/TFR is currently at 330 days. We believe this may represent an important improvement in the treatment of r/r WM as we believe no approved or late-stage development treatments for second- and third-line patients have reported a CR to date. Based on study results to date, patients continue to tolerate iopofosine well, with the most common adverse events being cytopenias and fatigue.

23

Table of Contents

Phase 2a Study: Patients with r/r Multiple Myeloma Cohort

In September 2020, we announced that a 40% ORR was observed in the subset of refractory MM patients deemed triple class refractory who received 60 mCi or greater TBD. Triple class refractory is defined as patients that are refractory to immunomodulatory, proteasome inhibitors and anti-CD38 antibody drug classes. The 40% ORR (6/15 patients) represents triple class refractory patients enrolled in Part A of Cellectar’s CLOVER-1 study and additional patients enrolled in Part B from March through May 2020 and received >60mCi TBD (25 mCi/m2 single bolus, 31.25 mCi/m2 fractionated, 37.5 mCi/m2 fractionated, or two cycles of mCi/m2 fractionated) either as a bolus dose or fractionated. Patients with MM received 40 mg of dexamethasone concurrently beginning within 24 hours of the first CLR 131 infusion. All MM patients enrolled in the expansion cohort are required to be triple class refractory. The additional six patients enrolled in 2020 were heavily pre-treated with an average of nine prior multi-drug regimens. Three patients received a TBD of > 60 mCi and three received less than 60 mCi. Consistent with the data released in February 2020, patients receiving > 60 mCi typically exhibit greater responses. Based on study results to date, patients continue to tolerate iopofosine well, with the most common and almost exclusive treatment-emergent adverse events are cytopenias, such as thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, and anemia.

In December 2021, we presented data from 11 MM patients from our ongoing Phase 2 CLOVER-1 study in a poster at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition. The MM patients were at least triple class refractory (defined as refractory to an immunomodulatory agent, proteasome inhibitor and monoclonal antibody) with data current as of May 2021. Patients had a median of greater than 7 prior therapies with 50% classified as high risk. Initial results in these patients showed an ORR of 45.5%, a CBR of 72.7%, and a disease control rate (DCR) of 100%. Median PFS was 3.4 months. In a subset of five quad/penta drug refractory patients, efficacy increased, demonstrating an ORR of 80% and CBR of 100% in this highly treatment refractory group. The most commonly observed treatment emergent adverse events were cytopenias that included Grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia (62.5%), anemia (62.5%), neutropenia (62.5%) and decreased white blood cell count (50%). Treatment emergent adverse events were mostly limited to bone marrow suppression in line with prior observations. No patients experienced treatment emergent adverse events of neuropathy, arrhythmia, cardiovascular event, bleeding, ocular toxicities, renal function, alterations in liver enzymes, or infusion-site reactions or adverse events. We continue to enrich the r/r MM patient cohort with patients that are even more refractory, specifically enrolling patients that are quad-class refractory (triple class plus refractory to any of the recent approved product classes) and have relapsed post-BCMA immunotherapy. We reported in the Blood Cancer Journal in August 2022 that iopofosine demonstrated a 50% ORR in patients receiving >60mCi total administered dose (3/6 patients).

Phase 2a: Patients with r/r non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma Cohort

In February 2020, we announced positive data from our Phase 2a CLOVER-1 study in patients with NHL patients were treated with three different doses (<50mCi, ~50mCi and >60mCi TBD. Patients in the r/r NHL cohort received TBD of either ≥ 60 mCi or < 60 mCi (25 mCi/m2 single bolus, 31.25 mCi/m2 fractionated, 37.5 mCi/m2 fractionated, or two cycles of mCi/m2 fractionated) either as a bolus dose or fractionated. Patients with r/r NHL who received <60mCi TBD and the >60mCi TBD had a 42% and 43% ORR, respectively and a combined rate of 42%. These patients were also heavily pre-treated, having a median of three prior lines of treatment (range, 1 to 9) with the majority of patients being refractory to rituximab and/or ibrutinib. The patients had a median age of 70 with a range of 51 to 86. All patients had bone marrow involvement with an average of 23%. In addition to these findings, subtype assessments were completed in the r/r B-cell NHL patients. Patients with DLBCL demonstrated a 30% ORR with one patient achieving a CR, which continues at nearly 24 months post-treatment. The ORR for CLL/SLL and MZL patients was 33%.

Based upon the dose response observed in the Phase 2a study for patients receiving TBDs of 60mCi or greater, we determined that patient dosing of iopofosine in the pivotal study would be >60mCi TBD. Therefore, patients are now grouped as receiving <60mCi or >60mCi TBD.

24

Table of Contents

The most frequently reported adverse events in all patients were cytopenias, which followed a predictable course and timeline. The frequency of adverse events did not increase as doses were increased and the profile of cytopenias remained consistent. Importantly, our assessment is that these cytopenias have had a predictable pattern to initiation, nadir and recovery and are treatable. The most common grade ≥3 events at the highest dose (75mCi TBD) were hematologic toxicities including thrombocytopenia (65%), neutropenia (41%), leukopenia (30%), anemia (24%) and lymphopenia (35%). No patients experienced cardiotoxicities, neurological toxicities, infusion site reactions, peripheral neuropathy, allergic reactions, cytokine release syndrome, keratopathy, renal toxicities, or changes in liver enzymes. The safety and tolerability profile in patients with r/r NHL was similar to r/r MM patients except for fewer cytopenias of any grade. Based upon iopofosine being well tolerated across all dose groups, the observed response rate, and especially in difficult to treat patients such as high risk and triple class refractory or penta-refractory, and corroborating data showing the potential to further improve upon current ORRs and durability of those responses, the study has been expanded to test a two-cycle dosing optimization regimen with a target TBD >60 mCi/m² of iopofosine.

In May 2020, we announced that the FDA granted Fast Track Designation for iopofosine in WM in patients having received two or more prior treatment regimens.

Phase 1 Study in Patients with r/r Multiple Myeloma

In February 2020, final results from a multicenter, Phase 1 dose escalation clinical trial of iopofosine in r/r MM were presented. The trial was designed to evaluate the safety and potential initial efficacy of iopofosine administered in an up to 30-minute I.V. infusion either as a single bolus dose or as a fractionated dose in heavily pretreated MM patients. The study enrolled a total of 26 evaluable patients at three trial sites. For the trial, which used a modified three-plus-three dose escalation design, 15 evaluable patients were dosed in single bolus doses from 12.5mCi/m2 up to 31.25mCi/m2 (TBD 20.35-59.17 mCi) and 11 evaluable patients were dosed in fractionated dosing cohorts of 31.25mCi/m2 to 40mCi/m2 (TBD 54.915-89.107 mCi). An iDMC did not identify dose-limiting toxicities in any cohort. Of the 26 evaluable patients in the trial, a partial response was observed in 4 of 26 patients (15.4%) and stable disease or minimal response in 22 of 26 patients (84.6%), for a disease control rate of 100%. A significant decrease in M-protein and free light chain (FLC) was also observed.

Iopofosine in combination with dexamethasone was under investigation in adult patients with r/r MM. MM is an incurable cancer of the plasma cells and is the second most common form of hematologic cancer. Patients had to be refractory to or relapsed from at least one proteasome inhibitor and at least one immunomodulatory agent. The clinical study was a standard three-plus-three dose escalation safety study to determine the maximum tolerable dose. We use the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) definitions of response, which involve monitoring the surrogate markers of efficacy, M protein and FLC. The IMWG defines a PR as a 50% or greater decrease in M protein or to 50% or greater decrease in FLC levels (for patients in whom M protein is unmeasurable). Secondary objectives included the evaluation of therapeutic activity by assessing surrogate efficacy markers, which include M protein, FLC, PFS and OS. All patients were heavily pretreated with an average of five prior lines of therapy. An iDMC assessed the safety of iopofosine up to its planned maximum single, bolus dose of 31.25 mCi/m² or a TBD of ~63 mCi. The four single dose cohorts examined were: 12.5 mCi/m² (~25mCi TBD), 18.75 mCi/m² (~37.5mCi TBD), 25 mCi/m²(~50mCi TBD), and 31.25 mCi/m²(~62.5mCi TBD), all in combination with low dose dexamethasone (40 mg weekly). Of the five patients in the first cohort, four were assessed as achieving stable disease and one patient progressed at Day 15 after administration and was taken off the study. Of the five patients admitted to the second cohort, all five were assessed as achieving stable disease; however, one patient progressed at Day 41 after administration and was taken off the study. Four patients were enrolled to the third cohort, and all were assessed as achieving stable disease. In September 2017, we announced safety and tolerability data for cohort 4, in which patients were treated with a single infusion up to 30-minutes of 31.25mCi/m² of iopofosine, which was tolerated by the three patients in the cohort. Additionally, all three patients experienced CBR with one patient achieving a partial response (PR). The patient experiencing a PR had an 82% reduction in FLC. This patient did not produce M protein, had received seven prior lines of treatment including radiation, stem cell transplantation and multiple triple combination treatments including one with daratumumab that was not tolerated. One patient experiencing stable disease attained a 44% reduction in M protein. In January 2019, we announced that the pooled mOS data from the first four cohorts was 22.0 months. In late 2018, we modified this study to evaluate a fractionated dosing strategy to potentially increase efficacy and decrease adverse events.

25

Table of Contents

Cohorts five and six received fractionated dosing of 31.25 mCi/m²(~62.5mCi TBD) and 37.5 mCi/m² (~75mCi TBD), each administered on day 1 and day 8. Following the determination that all prior dosing cohorts were tolerated, we initiated a cohort seven utilizing a 40mCi/m2 (~95mCi TBD) fractionated dose administered 20mCi/m2 (~40mCi TBD) on days 1 and day 8. Cohort seven was the highest pre-planned dose cohort and subjects have completed the evaluation period. The study completed enrollment and the final clinical study report is expected in the first half of 2022. Adverse events occurring in at least 25% of subjects were fatigue (26%) and cytopenias, specifically, thrombocytopenia (90%), anemia (65%), neutropenia (55%), leukopenia (61%), and lymphopenia (58%). Serious adverse events occurring in greater than two subjects were restricted to febrile neutropenia n=3 (9.7%).

In May 2019, we announced that the FDA granted Fast Track Designation for iopofosine in fourth line or later r/r MM. Iopofosine is currently being evaluated in our ongoing CLOVER-1 Phase 2 clinical study in patients with r/r MM and other select B-cell lymphomas. Patients in the study received up to four, approximately 20-minute, IV infusions of iopofosine over 3 months, with doses given 14 days apart in each cycle and a maximum of two cycles. Low dose dexamethasone 40 mg weekly (20mg in patients ≥ 75), was provided for up to 12 weeks. The planned study enrollment was up to 80 patients. Its primary endpoint was clinical benefit rate (CBR), with additional endpoints of ORR, PFS, median overall survival (OS) and other markers of efficacy. Over the course of the study the dosing regimen of iopofosine advanced from a single bolus dose to two cycles of fractionated administrations of 15 mCi/m2 per dose on days 1, 15 (cycle 1), and days 57, 71 (cycle 2). Following treatment with iopofosine, approximately 91% of patients experience a reduction in tumor marker with approximately 73% experiencing greater than 37% reduction.

CLOVER 2: Phase 1 Study in r/r Pediatric Patients with select Solid tumors, Lymphomas and Malignant Brain Tumors

In December 2017, the Division of Oncology at the FDA accepted our IND and study design for the Phase 1 study of iopofosine in children and adolescents with select rare and orphan designated cancers. This study was initiated during the first quarter of 2019. In December 2017, we submitted an IND application for r/r pediatric patients with select solid tumors, lymphomas and malignant brain tumors. The Phase 1 clinical study of iopofosine is an open-label, sequential-group, dose-escalation study evaluating the safety and tolerability of intravenous administration of iopofosine in children and adolescents with relapsed or refractory malignant solid tumors (neuroblastoma, Ewing’s sarcoma, osteosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma) and lymphoma or recurrent or refractory malignant brain tumors for which there are no standard treatments. Secondary objectives of the study are to identify the recommended efficacious dose of iopofosine and to determine preliminary antitumor activity (treatment response) of iopofosine in children and adolescents.

In August 2020, based on data on four dose levels from 15mCi/m² up to 60mCi/m2, the iDMC permitted the beginning of the evaluation of the next higher dose cohort, at 75mCi/m2. The iDMC advised, based upon the initial data, to enrich the 60 mCi/m2 dose level for patients over the age of 10 with HGG and Ewing sarcoma. Changes in various tumor parameters appeared to demonstrate initial response and tumor uptake. This includes patients with relapsed HGGs with over five months of PFS. In November 2020, we announced clinical data providing that iopofosine had been measured in pediatric brain tumors, confirming that systemic administration of iopofosine crosses the blood brain barrier and is delivered into tumors and that the data show disease control in heavily pretreated patients with ependymomas. In November 2021, we announced favorable data on changes in various tumor parameters in a Phase 1 study in children and adolescents with relapsed and refractory high-grade gliomas (HGGs) and soft tissue sarcomas. Pediatric HGGs are a collection of aggressive brain and central nervous system tumor subtypes (i.e. diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas, glioblastomas, astrocytomas, ependymomas, etc.) with about 400 new pediatric cases diagnosed annually in the U.S. Children with these tumors have a poor prognosis and limited 5-year survival. Adverse events occurring in at least 25% of subjects were fatigue, headache, nausea and vomiting (28% respectively), and cytopenias, specifically, thrombocytopenia (67%), anemia (67%), neutropenia (61%), leukopenia (56%), and lymphopenia (33%). There were no serious adverse events occurring in more than 2 subjects. The Part A portion of this Phase 1 study has concluded, and part B has initiated to determine the appropriate dosing regimen in pediatric patients with r/r HGG. In 2022, the NCI awarded Cellectar a $1,900,000 SBIR Phase 2 grant to explore iopofosine in pediatric HGG.

In 2018, the FDA granted ODD and RPDD for iopofosine for the treatment of neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma and osteosarcoma. If iopofosine should be approved for any of these pediatric indications, the first approved RPDD would enable us to receive a priority review voucher. Priority review vouchers can be used by the sponsor to receive priority review for a future New Drug Application (NDA) or Biologic License Application (BLA) submission, which would reduce the FDA review time from 12 months to six months. Currently, these vouchers can also be transferred or sold to another entity. In December 2020, the FDA extended the Priority Review Voucher Program through September 2026 for rare pediatric diseases.

26

Table of Contents

Phase 1 Study in r/r Head and Neck Cancer

In August 2016, the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center (UWCCC) was awarded a five-year Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant of $12,000,000 from the NCI and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research to improve treatments and outcomes for head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. HNC is the sixth most common cancer across the world with approximately 56,000 new patients diagnosed every year in the U.S. As a key component of this grant, the UWCCC researchers completed testing of iopofosine in various animal HNC models and initiated the first human clinical study enrolling up to 30 patients combining iopofosine and external beam radiation treatment (EBRT) with recurrent HNC in the fourth quarter of 2019. UWCCC has completed the part A portion of a safety and tolerability study of iopofosine in combination with EBRT and preliminary data suggest safety and tolerability in relapsed or refractory HNC. The reduction in the amount or fractions (doses) of EBRT has the potential to diminish the (number and severity of) adverse events associated with EBRT. Patients with HNC typically receive approximately 60-70 Grays (Gy) of EBRT given as 2 – 3 Gy daily doses over a six-week timeframe. Patients can experience long-term tumor control following re-irradiation in this setting; however, this approach can cause severe injury to normal tissue structures, significant adverse events and diminished quality of life. Part B of the study was to assess the safety and potential benefits of iopofosine in combination with EBRT in a cohort of up to 24 patients. This portion of the study has fully enrolled, and data were reported at the ASTRO 2024 conference on March 2, 2024. Complete remission was achieved in 64% of patients, with an ORR of 73% (n=11). Prior to treatment with iopofosine I 131, six patients had multiple recurrence and one had metastatic disease, both of which are indicative of poor outcomes. Additionally, the study demonstrated durability of tumor control with an overall survival of 67% and progression free survival of 42% at 12 months. Eleven patients (92%) experienced a treatment-related adverse event. Treatment-related adverse events of grade 3 or higher occurring in 20% or more patients were thrombocytopenia (75%), lymphopenia (75%), leukopenia (75%), neutropenia (67%), and anemia (42%). Observed adverse events were consistent with the known toxicity profile of iopofosine I 131, with cytopenias being the most common. All patients recovered. We believe that these data support the notion of enhanced patient outcomes when combining the use of iopofosine I 131 in combination with external beam radiation for a treatment of solid tumors.

Preclinical Pipeline

We believe our PDC platform has potential to provide targeted delivery of a diverse range of oncologic payloads, as exemplified by the product candidates listed below, that may result in improvements upon current standard of care (SOC) for the treatment of a broad range of human cancers:

Results of Operations

Research and development expense. Research and development expense consist of costs incurred in identifying, developing and testing, and manufacturing product candidates, which primarily include salaries and related expenses for personnel, cost of manufacturing materials and contract manufacturing fees paid to contract manufacturers and contract research organizations, fees paid to medical institutions for clinical studies, and costs to secure intellectual property. The Company analyzes its research and development expenses based on four categories as follows: clinical project costs, preclinical project costs, manufacturing and related costs, and general research and development costs that are not allocated to the functional project costs, including personnel costs, facility costs, related overhead costs and patent costs.

27

Table of Contents

General and administrative expense. General and administrative expense consists primarily of salaries and other related costs for personnel in executive, finance and administrative functions. Other costs include insurance, costs for public company activities, investor relations, directors’ fees and professional fees for legal and accounting services.

Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 and 2023

Research and Development. Research and development expense for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was approximately $7,378,000, compared to approximately $6,654,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2023.

The following table is a summary comparison of approximate research and development costs for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and March 31, 2023:

​

The overall increase in research and development expense of approximately $724,000, or 11%, was primarily a result of increased manufacturing and related costs of approximately $1,399,000, related to the development of supply chain and production sourcing enhancements, partially offset by a decrease in general research and development costs.

General and administrative. General and administrative expense for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was approximately $4,624,000, compared to approximately $2,051,000 for the same period in 2023. The overall increase in general and administrative expense of $2,572,000, or 125%, was primarily driven by costs associated with the development of infrastructure necessary to support commercialization upon anticipated NDA approval, including the related marketing, and personnel costs.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

We have incurred losses since inception in devoting substantially all of our efforts toward research and development of drug candidates for which we are seeking FDA approval. During the three months ended March 31, 2024, we generated a net loss of approximately $21.6 million and used approximately $13.4 million in cash for operations. We expect that we will continue to generate operating losses for the foreseeable future. As of March 31, 2024, our consolidated cash balance was approximately $40.0 million. We believe our cash balance as of March 31, 2024 is adequate to fund our basic budgeted operations into the fourth quarter of 2024. Our ability to execute our operating plan beyond that time depends on our ability to obtain additional funding via the sale of equity and/or debt securities, a strategic transaction or otherwise. We plan to actively pursue all available financing alternatives; however, there can be no assurance that we will obtain the necessary funding. Other than the uncertainties regarding our ability to obtain additional funding and our ability to meet the continued listing standards of Nasdaq, there are currently no known trends, demands, commitments, events or uncertainties that are likely to materially affect our liquidity.

​

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and are not required to provide the information otherwise required under this item.

​

28

Table of Contents

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

Management, with the participation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer (its principal executive office and principal accounting officer, respectively) maintains “disclosure controls and procedures,” as such terms are defined in Rules 13a 15(e) and 15d 15(e) of the Exchange Act, that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act are recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures. Based on management’s evaluation (with the participation of our principal executive officer and principal financial officer), as of March 31, 2024, our management has concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) were not effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms as a result of the material weaknesses identified below.

During the period ended March 31, 2024, the Company did not design and maintain effective controls related to properly applying fair value methodologies and assumption used in Level 3 instruments and did not design and maintain controls to ensure the proper application of technical accounting guidance in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles which resulted in material audit adjustments due to these material weaknesses. Our management, with oversight from our Audit Committee, is in the process of developing and implementing remediation plans in response to the identified material weakness.

During the period ended December 31, 2023, and continuing into the period ended March 31, 2024, management identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting as a result of the limited number of staff in our finance and accounting function. It is difficult to design and maintain appropriate segregation of duties in the initiation, recording, and approval of transactions within financial systems with a limited number of personnel. This, coupled with management having not designed and maintained user access controls that adequately restrict user and privileged access to financial applications, and the absence of sufficient other mitigating controls, created a segregation of duties weakness which could potentially have resulted in a material misstatement. Management has identified remediation actions that require the addition of personnel to the finance and accounting function, which will allow the Company to design the control environment in a manner that provides effective segregation of duties, beginning with personnel having been added to the finance function in early 2024.

During the period ended December 31, 2023, and continuing into the period ended March 31, 2024, management identified a material weakness in our recording of stock-based compensation because we failed to design and implement adequate internal controls over the recording of such transactions. Our management has developed a remediation plan that will allow such transactions to be properly recorded in the future through the implementation of a control design change and the addition of personnel to the accounting function. This remediation plan, with oversight from our Audit Committee, is in the process of implementation in response to the identified material weakness.

Notwithstanding such material weaknesses, our consolidated financial statements and other financial information included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q present fairly in all material respects our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows for the periods presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. As noted above, the material weaknesses described herein resulted in material audit adjustments that were recorded in the consolidated financial statements. There were no changes to our historical consolidated financial statements.

29

Table of Contents

Changes in internal control over financial reporting. Based on management’s evaluation (with the participation of our principal executive officer and principal financial officer), as of March 31, 2024, our management has concluded that there have not been any significant changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting other than the material weaknesses and related remediation measures as described above.

The Chief Executive Officer and the Audit Committee perform significant roles in ensuring the accuracy and completeness of our financial reporting and the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures. We have not identified any changes that occurred during the Company’s fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2024 that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting other than the material weaknesses and related remediation measures as described above.

Important Considerations. Any system of controls, however well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, and not absolute assurance that the objectives of the system are met. In addition, the design of any control system is based in part on certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events. The effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures is subject to various inherent limitations, including cost limitations, judgments used in decision making, assumptions about the likelihood of future events, the soundness of our systems, the possibility of human error, and the risk of fraud. Because of these and other inherent limitations of control systems, there can be no assurance that any system of disclosure controls and procedures will be successful in achieving its stated goals, including but not limited to preventing all errors or fraud or in making all material information known in a timely manner to the appropriate levels of management, under all potential future conditions, regardless of how remote.

​

30

Table of Contents

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

We may be a party to proceedings in the ordinary course of business, however, we do not anticipate that the outcome of such matters and disputes will materially affect our financial statements.

​

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Other factors that could materially adversely affect our business and our equity securities are described in the Risk Factors previously disclosed in Form 10-K, our Annual Report filed with the SEC on March 27, 2024 pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (the “2023 10-K”). This information should be considered carefully, together with other information in this report and other reports and materials we file with the SEC.

​

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

None.

​

Item 3. Default Upon Senior Securities

None.

​

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

​

Item 5. Other Information

None.

​

31

Table of Contents

Item 6. Exhibits

​

​

​

32

Table of Contents

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

​

​

​

33

EXHIBIT 31.1

I, JAMES V. CARUSO, certify that:

Date: May 14, 2024

​

EXHIBIT 31.2

I, CHAD J. KOLEAN, certify that:

Date: May 14, 2024

​

​

EXHIBIT 32.1

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

18 U.S.C. § 1350

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Cellectar Biosciences, Inc. (the “Company”) for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), we, James V. Caruso, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and Chad J. Kolean, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, to our knowledge, that:

​

​

​