On October 2, 2024 Kineta, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of novel immunotherapies in oncology that address cancer immune resistance, reported that TuHURA Biosciences Inc (TuHURA) is exercising its right to extend their exclusivity and right of first offer agreement (the "Agreement") for Kineta’s VISTA blocking antibody KVA12123 (Press release, Kineta, OCT 2, 2024, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kineta-announces-the-extension-of-the-tuhura-biosciences-exclusivity-and-right-of-first-offer-agreement-for-kva12123-kinetas-vista-blocking-antibody-currently-in-phase-1 [SID1234647000]). Under the terms of the Agreement entered in July 2024 between Kineta and TuHURA, TuHURA has the right to extend their rights for up to two 10-day periods. Kineta is entitled to receive $150,000 for each 10-day extension.
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"In February, Kineta announced that it would be exploring strategic alternatives for the company to maximize shareholder value. This priority continues, and I look forward to providing additional information on this front later this year," said Craig W. Philips, President, Kineta. "Through the exclusivity and right of first offer agreement with TuHURA for KVA12123, we reopened the Phase 1 clinical study in August 2024 and are currently enrolling patients into this study in advanced solid tumor cancers. Kineta is focused on completing the enrollment of the Phase 1 trial by year end 2024."
"KVA12123 is a novel, differentiated new treatment alternative for patients with cancer. The progress being made in the clinical trial is encouraging. As TuHURA continues our diligence, I have been pleased with the enthusiasm for KVA12123 that I have seen in the medical community. VISTA expression is broadly observed in patients with a number of solid and hematologic cancers. KVA12123 may provide a valuable therapeutic alternative to improving the treatment of patients with cancer," said Dr. James A. Bianco, Chief Executive Officer of TuHURA.
On July 8, 2024, Kineta announced that it had entered into the Agreement with TuHURA, a Phase 3 registration-stage immuno-oncology company developing novel technologies to overcome resistance to cancer immunotherapy. As part of the Agreement, Kineta received a $5 million nonrefundable payment from TuHURA in July 2024. Under the terms of the Agreement, any payment made by TuHURA in consideration for Kineta’s compliance with its obligations set forth in the Agreement will be credited to the upfront payment from TuHURA if a transaction between the parties is completed. In August, Kineta announced that in collaboration with TuHURA, it reopened enrollment in the VISTA-101 clinical trial. Kineta and TuHURA continue to collaborate on the ongoing Phase 1 clinical program for patients with advanced solid tumor cancer.
KVA12123, through the combination of unique epitope binding and an optimized IgG1 Fc region, has demonstrated strong tumor growth inhibition as both a monotherapy or in combination with other checkpoint inhibitors in preclinical models. KVA12123 provides a novel approach to address immune suppression in the TME with a mechanism of action that is differentiated and complementary with T cell focused therapies. KVA12123 may be an effective immunotherapy for many types of cancer including non-small cell lung (NSCLC), colorectal, renal cell carcinoma, head and neck, and ovarian cancer. Significant VISTA expression is observed in patients with a variety of cancer types including gynecologic tumors such as ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancer.