KAHR Medical, a clinical stage biotech company that is developing a treatment for solid tumors and blood cancers has received investment from the Myeloma Investment Fund (MIF).
MIF has made the investment to explore the potential of DSP107, KAHR’s leading immunotherapy drug candidate for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
“We are thrilled to partner with KAHR to help advance DSP107 as a potential drug candidate for multiple myeloma,” said Peter Kosa, managing director of MIF.
“This investment reinforces our commitment to drive the development of the most innovative treatment approaches for myeloma patients.”
MIF investment to explore potential
Yaron Pereg, CEO of KAHR Medical, added “We are excited to have the Myeloma Investment Fund join our syndicate of investors. This vote of confidence helps us advance the clinical development of our lead product candidate, DSP107, which is being tested in multiple clinical studies for the benefit of patients who are non-responsive or refractory to existing therapies.”
Together with the current investment, KAHR Medical has raised a total of $59 million since June 2021 in private placements supported by aMoon Fund, Flerie Invest AB, Peregrine Ventures, BVF Partners LP, DAFNA Capital Management LLC, Consensus Business Group, Hadasit Bio Holdings Ltd (HBL), Mirae Asset, Shavit Capital, Pavilion Capital, Cancer Focus Fund and Remedii.
DSP107 is a dual-targeting fusion protein that activates innate and adaptive immunity by blocking CD47 on cancer cells and utilizing 4-1BB conditional co-stimulatory activation of T-cells. By binding both cancer cells and immune cells, DSP107 combines checkpoint inhibition with tumor localized immune cell activation to bolster anti-tumor immunity.
Targeted macrophage
DSP107 binds to and inhibits CD47, an immune checkpoint protein overexpressed in many cancers that enables the tumor to evade immune recognition and attack by macrophages. Simultaneously, when anchored to the tumor, DSP107 binds 4-1BB, a co-stimulatory receptor expressed on T-cells, recruits them to the tumor microenvironment and stimulates their activation. These activities result in targeted macrophage and T-cell mediated immune activation and tumor destruction.
DSP107 has demonstrated an excellent safety profile, no binding to red blood cells, biological activity, and high disease control rates in a phase 1 trial of patients with advanced solid tumors. DSP107 is also being tested in combination with Atezolizumab in a phase 1/2 trial in patients with advanced solid tumors and in combination with standard of care therapies for relapsed/refractory AML and MDS patients in a phase 1b study.
DSP107, is a CD47x41BB targeting compound. DSP107 is being tested in a phase 1/2 clinical trial in advanced solid tumors and a phase 1b clinical trial in blood cancers. KAHR Medical’s preclinical pipeline includes DSP502, a PVRxPD-L1 targeting fusion protein, and DSP216, an HLA-GxCD47 targeting fusion protein.
MIF venture philanthropy
MIF is a subsidiary of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), which seeks to find a cure for all multiple myeloma patients by relentlessly pursuing innovations that accelerate the development of personalized treatments for cancer.
MIF is a venture philanthropy fund that invests in promising companies, clinical assets, and technologies in oncology to drive the development of new therapies for multiple myeloma.
It collaborates closely with portfolio companies to help them advance multiple myeloma research. This evergreen fund is supported entirely by philanthropy; all profits will be reinvested back into research for more effective treatments until there is a cure for every patient.