Kintara announces Kineta reopens enrollment for VISTA-101 clinical trial

TuHURA Biosciences and Kintara Therapeutics (KTRA) announced that Kineta (KA) has reopened enrollment in its ongoing VISTA-101 Phase 1/2 clinical trial. As previously announced on July 8, 2024, TuHURA entered into an Exclusivity and Right of First Offer Agreement with Kineta for the potential acquisition of Kineta’s KVA12123 VISTA blocking antibody and related rights and assets associated with and derived from the asset. Kineta and TuHURA are cooperating on the reinitiation of patient enrollment into this trial during TuHURA’s due diligence period with respect to the KVA12123 assets. To date, KVA12123 has cleared the fifth of six monotherapy dose levels and two of the four cohorts in combination with Merck’s anti-PD1 therapy, KEYTRUDA. Initial results demonstrating partial response and stable disease in the combination cohorts, and durable stable disease observed in monotherapy cohorts, were reported earlier this year at the American Association of Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024. Additionally, the initial results of KVA12123 showed a favorable clinical safety and tolerability profile with no dose limiting toxicities and no evidence of cytokine release syndrome-associated cytokines at any dose level. As previously announced, under the terms of the Agreement, Kineta received a $5 million nonrefundable payment from TuHURA. Pursuant to the Agreement, among other things, Kineta has granted TuHURA an exclusive right to discuss and negotiate with Kineta the potential acquisition of Kineta’s worldwide patents, patent rights, patent applications, product and development program assets, technical and business information, and other rights and assets associated with and derived from its development program related to KVA12123. This exclusive right shall continue through the first to occur of the execution of any definitive agreement with respect to a potential transaction by TuHURA or one or more of its affiliates and 11:59 PM Eastern Time on October 1, 2024, subject to extension for an additional 20 days. TuHURA is currently engaging in due diligence under the Agreement.