Verismo Therapeutics to Present at ASGCT 2024

Verismo Therapeutics, a Philadelphia-based clinical-stage CAR T cell company, has announced that an abstract has been accepted for oral presentation at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy 2024 (ASGCT 2024) in Baltimore from May 7-11, 2024.

The presentation is titled "Preclinical Specificity and Potency Evaluation of a Novel CD19-specific KIR-CAR T Cell Therapy (SynKIR™-310)" and has been assigned abstract number 6332. It will be delivered by Nora Yucel, Ph.D., a Translational Scientist at Verismo Therapeutics, on Thursday, May 9th from 5:00 to 5:15 p.m.

The abstract outlines the promising results of preclinical studies on SynKIR™-310, a novel KIR-CAR T cell therapy using a new proprietary CD19 binder called DS191. Previous research has shown that the killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR)-based CAR, when expressed in T cells as a multichain receptor with DAP12 (KIR-CAR T), demonstrates enhanced anti-tumor activity compared to conventional second-generation CAR T cells in various preclinical solid tumor models. The latest data suggest that this platform could potentially show improved activity in aggressive lymphoma cases. The preclinical study evaluated the specificity, sensitivity, and potency of the novel CD19 binder DS191 in combination with the KIR-CAR platform. The findings support the potential of SynKIR™-310 as an effective T cell therapy against CD19-positive malignancies.

The KIR-CAR platform is a multi-chain CAR T cell therapy, designed to sustain antitumor T cell activity even in challenging tumor microenvironments. It utilizes NK cell-derived KIR and DAP12 split signaling for combined activation and co-stimulation, separate from traditional T cell pathways. This unique mechanism allows for sustained chimeric receptor expression and improved long-term function of KIR-CAR T cells. As a result, this platform has shown prolonged functional persistence of T cells, leading to the regression of both solid tumors and blood cancers that are resistant to traditional CAR T cell therapies in preclinical models. The KIR-CAR technology is also being explored in combination with other emerging technologies to potentially offer the next generation of multimodal targeted immunotherapies for patients.

Verismo Therapeutics is at the forefront of developing multi-chain KIR-CAR technology. Their first asset, SynKIR™-110, is currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial, while SynKIR™-310 is moving quickly towards its own Phase 1 trial. As the only company developing the KIR-CAR platform, Verismo Therapeutics focuses on using a modified NK cell-derived receptor and DAP12 pairing to enhance T cell persistence and efficacy against aggressive tumors. The KIR-CAR platform was specifically created to treat advanced solid tumors and B cell-associated disorders and malignancies, addressing significant unmet medical needs.