T cell targeting therapies - January 2021

T cell targeting therapies - January 2021

Kuur Therapeutics reported interim clinical data that supports the CAR-NKT cell therapy platform

21 Jan 2020

Kuur Therapeutics – KUR-501 (autologous GD2 CAR-NKT cells)/ KUR-502 (off-the-shelf CD19 CAR-NKT cells)

  • Kuur Therapeutics provided clinical updates for both Phase 1 GINAKIT2 study of KUR-501 in patients with relapsed/refractory neuroblastoma and Phase 1 ANCHOR study of KUR-502 in patients with R/R CD19+ malignancies
  • Trial details: GINAKIT2; Phase 1; R/R neuroblastoma; N=24; GINAKIT cells (1×108 cells/m2) + Cytoxan + Fludara; Primary outcomes: MTD; PCD: Sep’21; Recruiting; Location: US
  • Results: (N=10)
    • CR: 1 patient; PR: 1 patient; SD: 3 patients
    • Tumor biopsies show CAR-NKT cells homing to the neuroblastoma tumor site at all dose levels
    • Promising safety profile with only one case of Grade 2 CRS and no cases of immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS)
  • Trial details: ANCHOR; Phase 1; R/R B-cell malignancies; N=48; CD19.CAR-aNKT cells (Dose Level 1: 1 x 107/m2; Dose Level 2: 3 x 107/m2; Dose Level 3: 1 x 108/m2) + Cytoxan + Fludara; Primary outcomes: DLTs; PCD: Arp’23; Recruiting; Location: US
  • Results: (N= 2; Lymphoma)
    • CR: 1 patient; PR: 1 patient
    • The patient with a CR was initially observed to be in PR four weeks after infusion but subsequently converted to a CR without additional therapy
    • Promising safety profile with no CRS, no ICANS, and no evidence of graft versus host disease (GvHD)

CAR-NKT cell therapy demonstrated positive antitumor activity encouraging further development

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CI Scientists Remarks:

  • Kuur’s CAR-NKT cell therapy platform engineers CARs expressed by invariant NKT cells, which combine features of T and NK cells
  • In 2016, Cell Medica (now Kuur Therapeutics) secured an exclusive license to Baylor’s CAR-NKT platform and partnered with Baylor College of Medicine with the goal of advancing these novel anti-cancer therapies
  • Currently, Kuur Therapeutics has three products in development

    Product

    Tumor

    Stage of development

    KUR-501

    Neuroblastoma

    Phase 1

    KUR-502

    Hematological malignancies

    Phase 1

    KUR-503

    Liver cancer

    Preclinical

  • Advantages of Kuur’s NKT cells
    • These assets when administered to an unrelated individual does not appear to cause graft-versus-host disease
    • Compared with patient-specific autologous CAR products, it is immediately available for treatment and less expensive to manufacture
    • Unlike CAR-T therapies which have limited success in solid tumors, these CAR-NKT therapies show encouraging results in solid tumors
  • Upcoming milestones:

    H1’21

    KUR-501: Complete 4th dose level

    KUR-502: Complete 1st dose level

    H2’21

    KUR-503: IND filing

– Dr. Kowndinya, CI Scientists

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