On March 2, 2026 Kairos Pharma, Ltd. (NYSE American: KAPA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative cancer therapeutics, reported that it has entered into binding terms to acquire CL-273 from Celyn Therapeutics, Inc., a company backed by OrbiMed and Torrey Pines Investment.
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John Yu, M.D., Kairos Pharma Chief Executive Officer, commented: "The signing of binding terms to acquire CL-273 represents a pivotal step in building Kairos Pharma’s next generation of targeted therapies for EGFR-mutant lung cancer. This transaction is expected to be value-accretive. CL-273’s AI-designed, wild-type-sparing pan-EGFR profile positions it as a potentially best-in-class asset in a large, fast-growing $16.2 billion lung cancer market with significant unmet needs due to the development of resistance. Given its prestigious backing, we believe partnering with Celyn Therapeutics offers additional high-quality science to our existing pipeline. We believe in the rigor of the data package supporting CL-273. We further believe that together with an OrbiMed-backed innovator, Kairos Pharma is strongly positioned to deliver a highly differentiated, potentially best-in-class, EGFR inhibitor to patients worldwide."
CL-273 is an investigational, reversible, wild-type-sparing pan-EGFR small-molecule inhibitor discovered using a proprietary AI-driven drug discovery platform backed by OrbiMed and other leading healthcare investors. This unique drug targets the resistant mutations that develop when using EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors, thereby reversing resistance. Specifically engineered for EGFR-mutant type of lung cancer (NSCLC), the EGFR-mutated lung cancer treatment market is estimated at $16.2 billion in 2026 (Future Market Insights). EGFR mutations are present in approximately 10–15% of NSCLC cases in Western populations and up to 50% in Asian populations (CoherentMI), creating a substantial addressable patient population worldwide.
Celyn Therapeutics brings deep domain expertise in small-molecule oncology drug development. Kairos Phama believes that OrbiMed’s support of Celyn underscores the quality of CL-273’s discovery and this transaction is expected to align the Company with OrbiMed’s longstanding track record in building category-defining oncology companies. By acquiring CL-273, Kairos aims to accelerate the development of a next-generation, AI-designed EGFR inhibitor for patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC worldwide.
D. Boral Capital, LLC acted as the sole financial advisor.
(Press release, Kairos Pharma, MAR 2, 2026, View Source [SID1234663178])