Core Viewpoint - TuHURA Biosciences has entered into an Exclusivity and Right of First Offer Agreement with Kineta for the potential acquisition of Kineta's KVA12123 anti-VISTA antibody, which is in development as an immunotherapy for cancer treatment [1][8]. Company Overview - TuHURA Biosciences is a Phase 3 registration-stage immune-oncology company focused on developing technologies to overcome resistance to cancer immunotherapy [1][9]. - Kintara Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing new therapies for solid tumors, with a focus on unmet medical needs [3][22]. Product Development - KVA12123 is a VISTA blocking immunotherapy currently completing clinical trials as both a monotherapy and in combination with Merck's KEYTRUDA® for patients with advanced solid tumors [2][8]. - KVA12123 has shown strong tumor growth inhibition in preclinical models without inducing cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in clinical trials, differentiating it from other therapies targeting VISTA [2][19]. Financial Terms - Under the Agreement, TuHURA will pay Kineta a total of $5 million, with an initial payment of $2.5 million at signing and an additional $2.5 million due by July 15, 2024 [8]. - TuHURA also raised $5 million through a private offering to an existing shareholder to support its operations [8][25]. Strategic Goals - The combined company from the merger of TuHURA and Kintara will focus on advancing personalized cancer vaccines and bi-functional antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) to address major challenges in current cancer immunotherapy [26][27]. - The merger is expected to close in the third quarter of 2024, subject to customary closing conditions, including stockholder approval [26].
TuHURA Biosciences Enters into Exclusivity and Right of First Offer Agreement for Kineta, Inc.'s KVA12123 Novel anti-VISTA Checkpoint Inhibitor