On August 12, 2026 Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRA), a global leader in cell-free DNA and precision medicine, reported a new collaboration regarding a Phase 1 clinical trial, sponsored by Kupando Therapeutics.
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Under the agreement, Natera’s Latitude tissue-free assay for molecular residual disease (MRD) detection will be used in Kupando’s clinical trial of its lead immunotherapy candidate, KUP-101. The trial will assess serial circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) dynamics as part of treatment response monitoring. Patients with advanced tumors across multiple skin cancers will be treated with KUP-101 and Latitude MRD testing will be performed at multiple timepoints.
Following the successful dosing of the first patient, Kupando’s safety committee has approved the ongoing enrollment of further patients across the activated clinical sites, including leading oncology centers in Germany.
KUP-101 is designed to activate the innate immune system and induce trained immunity. It has potential as a tissue-agnostic treatment across multiple solid tumor types, both as a standalone therapy and in combination with other agents. To evaluate molecular response in this setting, the Latitude test is well suited to assess treatment response in the trial.
"Dosing our first patient is a defining inflection point in Kupando’s history," said Johanna Holldack, M.D., founder and chief executive officer, Kupando Therapeutics. "By leveraging the power of innate immune stimulation and the induction of trained immunity, KUP-101 represents a fundamentally different way of approaching hard-to-treat cancers. Natera’s Latitude test can provide valuable insights into treatment response dynamics, helping us better understand the molecular activity of this novel therapeutic approach and advance our clinical development program for patients with advanced solid tumors."
"We are pleased to work with Kupando as they advance this promising first-in-class approach to innate immune activation," said Eric Matthews, general manager, biopharma, Natera. "Latitude’s capabilities make it ideally suited to evaluate ctDNA dynamics across diverse solid tumor types, and we look forward to generating molecular insights that can support Kupando’s development of KUP-101 and ultimately help patients with difficult-to-treat cancers."
(Press release, Natera, AUG 12, 2026, View Source [SID1234670030])