TuHURA Biosciences Secures Exclusive Rights for Kineta’s KVA12123 Checkpoint Inhibitor

TuHURA Biosciences, Inc. has entered an Exclusivity and Right of First Offer Agreement with Kineta, Inc. for KVA12123, an anti-VISTA antibody checkpoint inhibitor. KVA12123 aims to combat VISTA immune suppression and enhance the tumor microenvironment. Currently, it is undergoing a Phase 1/2 clinical study both as a standalone therapy and combined with Merck's KEYTRUDA®.

The inhibitor has shown promising safety and tolerability in clinical trials, with no dose-limiting toxicities or signs of Cytokine Release Syndrome. TuHURA will pay Kineta $5 million, split into two installments, and has raised $5 million from a current shareholder to bolster its financial standing for upcoming trials.

VISTA has been identified as a target in cancers unresponsive to existing checkpoint inhibitors, particularly in gynecologic cancers and myeloid cells. The KVA12123’s distinctive epitope binding and optimized IgG1 Fc region indicate strong monotherapy tumor growth inhibition without CRS risks, setting it apart from competitors.

The exclusivity lasts 90 days, extendable by another 20 days, during which TuHURA will evaluate the potential integration of KVA12123 into its advanced cancer treatment pipeline. This includes the Phase 3 accelerated approval trial for IFx-2.0 and development of bi-functional Antibody Drug Conjugates.