On June 21, 2022 Verismo Therapeutics, a recent University of Pennsylvania spin-out company behind the novel KIR-CAR platform technology for CAR T-cells, reported that Penn and Verismo entered into a Sponsored Research Agreement (SRA) (Press release, Verismo Therapeutics, JUN 21, 2022, View Source [SID1234616143]). Under the SRA, Verismo is funding additional KIR-CAR T-cell focused preclinical research programs at Penn to advance new potential treatment options for solid tumor indications. The research funded under the SRA is expected to be conducted over four years, from 2021 to 2025, in the Penn laboratories of Michael C. Milone, MD, PhD, an associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Donald L. Siegel, MD, PhD, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.
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Dr. Milone, with Dr. Carl June, is the co-inventor of the CTL019 CAR T product that became the first FDA-approved CAR T cell therapy, and he is the lead inventor of the KIR-CAR technology. Under the SRA, Dr. Milone and his lab are working to advance the KIR-CAR platform engineering and are performing key preclinical research for the purpose of enabling an IND for future clinical studies involving the KIR-CAR platform.
Dr. Siegel is a leading innovator in phage display technology. Under the SRA, Dr. Siegel and his lab are utilizing this technology to generate novel antibodies to cancer targets, which will expand Verismo’s product pipeline and potentially enable the treatment of additional tumor indications.
"Our ongoing collaboration with Penn brings us closer to our goal to treat solid tumors. Dr. Milone and Dr. Siegel have a clear vision of what scientific advances are needed to advance our progress and pipelines. I am hopeful that the collaboration between Penn and Verismo will accelerate the development of the KIR-CAR therapy and ultimately bring a new much needed treatment option to patients with solid tumors," said Dr. Bryan Kim, CEO of Verismo.
Editor’s Note: Drs. June, Milone, Siegel, and Penn are equity holders in Verismo. Penn has licensed certain Penn-owned intellectual property to Verismo and Drs. June, Milone, and Siegel, along with Penn, may receive financial benefits under the license in the future. Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine receives sponsored research funding from Verismo to support certain research and development programs at Penn.