KAHR and Cancer Focus Fund Announce First Patient Dosed in Phase 1b Clinical Trial of Anti-CD47 Product Candidate DSP107 in Blood Cancers
Trial assessing DSP107, a first-in-class CD47x41BB targeting fusion protein, in blood cancers is being conducted at MD Anderson and funded by Cancer Focus Fund investment
Phase 1b clinical trial is an open label, dose escalation trial of DSP107 as monotherapy and in combination with azacitidine or with azacitidine plus venetoclax in patients with AML and MDS
DSP107 is also being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial as a monotherapy and in combination with atezolizumab in patients with advanced solid tumors under a clinical collaboration with Roche
JERUSALEM, Israel and HOUSTON, Texas, February 17, 2022 — KAHR, a clinical stage oncology company developing novel dual-targeting fusion protein therapeutics, and Cancer Focus Fund, LP, a unique investment fund established in collaboration with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide funding and clinical expertise to advance promising cancer therapies, today announced that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 1b clinical trial of DSP107, KAHR’s CD47x41BB targeting fusion protein, in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The clinical trial is being funded by a previously announced investment from Cancer Focus Fund.
“Initiating our second clinical trial of DSP107 is another significant milestone for KAHR, and we appreciate the Cancer Focus Fund’s support in making it possible,” said Yaron Pereg, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of KAHR. “This trial in challenging blood cancers complements our ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial in patients with advanced solid tumors. DSP107’s distinctive mechanism of action and data observed from our preclinical studies and clinical trials to date suggest that it may have the potential to achieve significant anti-tumor effects across cancer types.”
“KAHR’s dual-targeting fusion proteins exemplify the type of novel cancer therapeutics we seek to support,” said Ross Barrett, a founder and Managing Partner of Cancer Focus Fund. “We are optimistic that DSP107 could be an excellent example of how our partnership with MD Anderson and innovative drug developers has the potential to facilitate important cancer clinical trials, help advance significant new therapies and ultimately improve the lives of cancer patients, while also rewarding our public and private backers.”
The two-part open label, dose escalation study is being conducted at MD Anderson and led by Naval Daver, MD, associate professor of Leukemia. It is evaluating the safety, efficacy, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of DSP107 as monotherapy and in combination with azacitidine or with azacitidine plus venetoclax in patients with relapsed/refractory AML or in MDS patients who have failed prior therapeutic regimens. The first part of the trial is a dose escalation study to explore the safety, efficacy, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of DSP107 when administered as monotherapy and in combination with azacitidine. In the second part of the trial, venetoclax will be added to the combination regimen.
Dr. Pereg added, “We continue to make good progress in the ongoing Phase 1/2 trial of DSP107 as a monotherapy and in combination with atezolizumab in patients with advanced solid tumors under our clinical collaboration agreement with Roche. We have completed enrollment of the monotherapy dose-escalation cohorts and are now treating patients with the combination of DSP107 and atezolizumab.
Results accumulated to date demonstrate favorable preliminary safety profile, with no dose limiting toxicities and no hematological or hepato-toxicities. Importantly, data from tumor biopsies before and after treatment show increased immune cell infiltration into the tumor with increased tumor necrosis.”