On April 28, 2025 Kura Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: KURA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to realizing the promise of precision medicines for the treatment of cancer, reported that the first patients have been dosed in KOMET-015, a Phase 1 clinical trial of ziftomenib, the Company’s potent and selective, oral investigational menin inhibitor, in patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) after imatinib failure (Press release, Kura Oncology, APR 28, 2025, View Source [SID1234652234]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"Building on compelling clinical activity of ziftomenib in patients with NPM1-mutant and KMT2A-rearranged AML, we are committed to evaluating the full therapeutic potential of menin inhibitors for the treatment of cancer," said Mollie Leoni, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Kura Oncology. "Approximately 4,000 to 6,000 new cases of GIST are diagnosed each year in the U.S., and advanced GIST patients have limited treatment options. Our preclinical data demonstrate the combination of ziftomenib and imatinib provides robust and durable antitumor activity in both imatinib-sensitive (1L) and imatinib-resistant (2L/3L) GIST patient-derived xenograft models, and we look forward to seeing whether the combination offers potential to transform the treatment paradigm."

In preclinical studies, the data demonstrates the combination exerts antitumor activity via a synthetic lethal mechanism through which ziftomenib epigenetically targets a vulnerability of GIST tumors actively induced by even ineffective tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatments. Sixty percent of patients develop resistance to imatinib, the frontline standard of care for GIST, within two years, and ziftomenib has the potential to delay the onset of or overcome that resistance in these patients.

"This study is an important step in developing new combination treatments to potentially improve outcomes for patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors, a disease indication for which new therapeutic options are needed," said Mrinal Gounder, M.D., Sarcoma Oncologist & Early Phase Drug Development Specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. "KOMET-015 builds upon the promising preclinical data observed with ziftomenib in combination with imatinib in GIST models and we look forward to evaluating the investigational drug candidate and its potential to transform the treatment landscape."

"Until now, most approaches to treating gastrointestinal stromal tumors rely on targeted KIT inhibition via tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as imatinib, however most patients eventually progress due to acquired secondary KIT mutations highlighting the need for new treatment options," said Shreyaskumar Patel, M.D., Center Medical Director, Sarcoma Center, at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. "We are highly encouraged by the substantial preclinical data generated to date supporting the combination for ziftomenib in combination with KIT inhibitors in advanced GIST, and the dosing of the first patients marks an important milestone to address the meaningful unmet need for these patients."

The KOMET-015 Phase 1a/1b, open-label, dose-escalation trial is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary antitumor activity of ziftomenib in combination with imatinib in adults with GIST who have documented disease progression while currently on or previously treated with imatinib. Upon completion of the dose-escalation portion of the trial, expansion cohorts are planned to further assess the safety, tolerability, and clinical activity of ziftomenib. The primary objectives include evaluation of safety and tolerability and determination of the recommended Phase 2 dose, and key secondary endpoints include clinical benefit, overall response rate (ORR), progression free survival (PFS), duration of response, and overall survival (OS).

Currently, there are no other clinical trials evaluating the combination of a menin inhibitor with standards of care for the treatment of GIST. For more information regarding the KOMET-015 trial, please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov (identifier: NCT06655246).

About GIST

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most common form of sarcoma, and are characterized as KIT-dependent solid tumors, with an estimated 4,000 to 6,000 new cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year. Despite the successful disease control achieved with imatinib in advanced GIST patients, most patients eventually progress due to acquired secondary KIT mutations. TKIs such as sunitinib target imatinib-resistant genotypes and are approved in later lines, but response rates and long-term outcomes are modest, so new therapeutic options are needed.

About Ziftomenib

Ziftomenib is a once daily, oral investigational menin inhibitor currently in development for the treatment of genetically defined AML and GIST patients with high unmet need. In April 2024, ziftomenib received Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) from the FDA for the treatment of relapsed/refractory (R/R) NPM1-mutant (NPM1-m) AML based on data from Kura’s KOMET-001 clinical trial. Additional information about clinical trials for ziftomenib can be found at www.kuraoncology.com/clinical-trials/#ziftomenib.

On April 28, 2025 TuHURA Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:HURA) ("TuHURA"), a Phase 3 immune-oncology company developing novel technologies to overcome resistance to cancer immunotherapy, reported on poster presentations of Kineta Inc.’s ("Kineta") KVA12123 novel anti-VISTA antibody and TuHURA’s IFx-Hu2.0 in advanced melanoma and at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL (Press release, TuHURA Biosciences, APR 28, 2025, View Source [SID1234652249]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

In the first poster presentation, (CT041/20) TuHURA and Kineta provided updated results from VISTA-101, a Phase I-II first-in-human study of KVA12123 alone and in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced solid tumors (NCT05708950). The poster, was presented by Thierry Guillaudeux, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Kineta. KVA12123 was found to be generally safe and well tolerated in all monotherapy and combination arms, with no dose-limiting toxicities observed. Additionally, KVA12123 demonstrated a favorable pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) profile at all dose levels, including:

At 1,000mg every two weeks, KVA12123 demonstrated greater than dose proportional PK profile exceeding 90% VISTA receptor occupancy, providing important PK data for determining recommended Phase 2 dose.
No dose limiting toxicities were observed in the study, including at the 1,000mg dose level, among the 24 patients treated in the monotherapy or in the 17 patients in the combination with pembrolizumab arms
"We are pleased to have Thierry present the latest data from the KVA12123 program, a valuable drug candidate that TuHURA will acquire following the closure of the proposed merger with Kineta which is currently targeted for the end of Q2 2025. TuHURA’s exclusivity payment last July allowed Kineta the ability to restart and complete the Phase I study providing important data regarding receptor occupancy and other PK, PD and translational biomarker data at the previously unstudied 1,000mg dose level. The study demonstrated in excess of 90% VISTA receptor occupancy over the entire Q2W dosing interval where PK simulations would predict similar receptor occupancy even at 750mg Q2W dosing, which we believe will be the recommended Phase 2 dose and schedule", stated James Bianco, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of TuHURA Biosciences.

Dr. Bianco continued, "Our primary interest in VISTA is its potential in immunologic tolerance in a variety of blood related cancers. Recent scientific data demonstrates that NPM1 mutation, present in 30% to 35% of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) results in the high expression of VISTA on leukemic blasts. This is believed to be the mechanism by which leukemia escapes immune recognition and attack and is responsible for high rate of treatment failures in AML. We look forward to evaluating the VISTA inhibiting antibody in a Phase 2 randomized study in relapsed AML, which we expect to initiate in the fourth quarter of 2025 based on the anticipated closing of the proposed merger with Kineta."

TuHURA also announced that the Markowitz Lab at Moffitt Cancer Center also presented a poster of TuHURA’s IFx-Hu2.0 in patients with advanced treatment refractory Melanoma who, like patients in TuHURA’s Phase 1b Merkel cell carcinoma trial, progressed while on CPI therapy. The data demonstrated that, among heavily pre-treated patients with advanced Melanoma who were resistant to anti-PD-1-based therapy, following IFx-Hu2.0, three of four patients achieved clinically meaningful, durable anti-tumor responses following re-administration of a CPI.

"Demonstration of the development of antibody specific response to the Emm55 bacterial protein expressed on the surface of the tumor cell following IFx-Hu2.0 in the phase 1 study and an abscopal effect in murine model of melanoma is consistent with the data generated in patients with advanced cutaneous malignancies like melanoma or Merkel cell carcinoma," noted Dr. Bianco. "We look forward to that anticipated initiation of our Phase 3 accelerated approval trial in first line treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma targeted for later this quarter."

In the second poster presentation relating to IFx-Hu2.0 entitled: "Mechanistic Insights into IFx- Hu2.0 Responses in the First Human Trial After Prior Anti-PD-1 Therapy Failure," (3428/23) IFx-Hu2.0’s first-in-human study demonstrated stimulation of an innate immune response, with increased T cell and B cell production in peripheral blood compared to tumor tissue. This innate immune activation underscores the potential of IFx-Hu2.0 to generate tumor specific activate T and B cells for patients who are resistant to anti-PD-1 CPIs. Additionally, IFx-Hu2.0 was generally safe and well tolerated, with only mild Grade 1 and Grade 2 adverse events, largely injection site reactions.

As previously announced, on December 11, 2024, TuHURA entered into a definitive agreement with Kineta, Inc. (OTC Pink: KANT) ("Kineta"), in which TuHURA agreed to acquire Kineta, including the rights to Kineta’s novel KVA12123 antibody, for a combination of cash and shares of TuHURA common stock via a merger transaction upon the terms and conditions and subject to the conditions set forth in TuHURA’s Form 8-K filed on December 12, 2024. The merger is currently targeted to close in Q2 2025 pending the satisfaction of certain closing conditions.

On April 28, 2025 PredxBio, a pioneer in AI-powered spatial biomarker discovery, reported a strategic collaboration with Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., a global leader in imaging technologies (Press release, Hamamatsu Photonics KK, APR 28, 2025, View Source [SID1234652266]). The partnership unites Hamamatsu’s advanced MoxiePlex multiplex immunofluorescence imaging system with PredxBio’s SpaceIQ spatial analytics platform to deliver an integrated workflow tailored to basic and translational research tailored to immuno-oncology.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Launched in late 2024, Hamamatsu’s MoxiePlex is a research use only platform that captures up to 10 fluorescent markers simultaneously, enabling precise spatial mapping of proteins on cancer and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment. Designed to support the complex needs of spatial proteomics research while maintaining workflow simplicity, MoxiePlex may in the future be developed for clinical applications, especially in areas like immunotherapy response profiling.

"This partnership reflects a shared vision to unlock the true potential of spatial proteomics through innovation and accessibility," said James Butler, VP of Marketing at Hamamatsu Corporation (the US subsidiary of Hamamatsu Photonics). "With MoxiePlex and SpaceIQ combined, we’re delivering a solution that meets the demands of advanced cancer research today, while paving the way for future development of clinical integrations."

By combining the high-resolution imaging capabilities of MoxiePlex with the explainable, multi-modal analytics of SpaceIQ, the joint offering creates a streamlined, plug-and-play ecosystem. Researchers can move from image capture to actionable insights—such as spatial immune cell profiling, pathway activation analysis, and biomarker stratification—with unprecedented speed, clarity, and scalability.

"We’re excited to partner with Hamamatsu to bridge the gap between image generation and spatial intelligence," said Dr. Dusty Majumdar, CEO of PredxBio. "Our joint solution makes it possible to explore not only what proteins are expressed, but where and how they drive disease biology—empowering researchers and drug developers with insights that matter."

PredxBio and Hamamatsu are jointly committed to simplifying spatial workflows while enhancing biological resolution. The integration supports spatially resolved proteomic data in support of translational research, biomarker validation, and clinical trial optimization.

On April 28, 2025 Vector Laboratories, a manufacturing partner of reagents and critical components for the development and production of life sciences tools, diagnostics, and clinical-stage biotherapeutics, in partnership with Spatomics, which specializes in developing spatial biology research tools, reported a poster at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) detailing a highly sensitive, multiplexed single-cell in situ analysis method that enables simultaneous detection of ten or more protein and glycan targets in the same biological sample (Press release, Vector Laboratories, APR 28, 2025, View Source [SID1234652282]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

The poster, "Multiplexed spatial profiling of protein and glycan expression using CFP fluor cleavable TSA fluorophores," was authored by scientists at Spatomics and Vector Laboratories. It describes a novel platform integrating off-the-shelf antibodies and lectins for sensitive multiplexed detection, opening up new insights into complex biological systems.

Spatomics employs a multiplexing strategy centered around its patented Cleavable Fluorescent Probe (CFP) fluorophores, which allows reiterative cycles of staining, imaging, and fluorophore cleaving. This enables sensitive, high-multiplex imaging without the use of highly complex or specialized detection systems.

"This partnership demonstrates our commitment to continue to improve the tools available for crucial basic research," said Lisa V. Sellers, PhD, CEO of Vector Laboratories. "We’re proud that this approach enables the multiplexed detection of in-situ glycosylation using Vector’s lectins, which have been validated over the years by the National Center for Functional Glycomics. We look forward to ultimately applying this approach to other research areas, including cancer biology, immunology, neuroscience, and infectious disease."

"We are excited to join with Vector Laboratories to bring this research to the attention of the scientific community," said Dr. Rui Zheng, CEO of Spatomics. "Our CFP Cleavable TSA fluorophore is the only commercially available fluorophore that leverages tyramide signal amplification and enables efficient removal of the fluorescent signal after staining."

The collaboration between Vector Laboratories and Spatomics will serve basic research in three key ways:

by making comprehensive multiplexing accessible to scientists;
by addressing biology questions in specific research areas where they are most effective;
by developing biomarker signatures that help in understanding disease state versus normal and could also facilitate target identification.
The poster will be presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) this afternoon, Central Time: Poster Section 52; Poster Board Number 17. The session title is "Late-Breaking Research: Chemistry." Authors of the poster are Nishinki Muthumuni, Jia Guo, Dana Ashworth, Rui Zheng, Jing Zhou, Shuhui Chen, Erika Leonard, Shamali Roy, and Xiaoshan Wang.

In 2024, Vector Laboratories merged with Absolute Biotech, expanding its manufacturing and distribution footprint from multiple manufacturing sites in the US to the UK and Europe. Absolute Biotech serves customers globally with antibody reagents, kits, and services to provide annotation, validation, sequencing, engineering, and recombinant manufacturing.

On April 28, 2025 Merck (DAX: MRK), a leading science and technology company, and SpringWorks Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SWTX), a Stamford, Connecticut-based commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on severe rare diseases and cancer, reported the companies have entered into a definitive agreement for Merck to acquire SpringWorks (Press release, Merck KGaA, APR 28, 2025, View Source [SID1234654400]). The purchase price of $47 per share in cash represents an equity value of approximately $3.9 billion, or an enterprise value of $3.4 billion (€3.0 billion) based on SpringWorks’ cash balance as of December 31, 2024, and a premium of 26% to SpringWorks’ unaffected 20-day volume-weighted average price of $37.38 on February 7, 2025, the day prior to the first market speculation of a potential transaction between Merck and SpringWorks.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"The agreed acquisition of SpringWorks is a major step in our active portfolio strategy to position Merck as a globally diversified, innovation and technology powerhouse. For our Healthcare sector, it sharpens the focus on rare tumors, accelerates growth, and strengthens our presence in the U.S.," said Belén Garijo, Chair of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck. "Beyond this planned transaction, we will continue to explore M&A opportunities across our three complementary business sectors, always with a firm focus on strategic fit, financial robustness, and long-term value creation."

The planned transaction is fully aligned with the business development/M&A priorities of Merck’s Healthcare business as outlined during the company’s Capital Markets Day in October 2024: to continue to pursue external innovation via in-licensing of high-quality compounds at various stages of development and focused acquisitions that promise early value creation. It also fits with the strategic objective of strengthening Merck’s Healthcare presence in the United States, the world’s largest pharmaceutical market.

Upon closing, the business combination will immediately contribute to Merck’s revenues and is expected to be accretive to Merck’s earnings per share pre (EPS pre) in 2027. The acquisition will be funded with available cash and new debt. Beyond this planned transaction, Merck will retain the ability to pursue larger transactions and continue to evaluate opportunities across its three sectors, with Life Science a priority. Merck is committed to preserving its strong investment grade credit rating.

SpringWorks’ rare tumor portfolio, including a marketed first-in-class, systemic standard-of-care therapy for adults with desmoid tumors and the first and only approved therapy for adults and children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) who have symptomatic plexiform neurofibromas (PN) not amenable to complete resection, will accelerate immediate and sustainable revenue growth for Merck. SpringWorks’ portfolio complements Merck’s progress in rare tumors, with Merck recently exercising an option for worldwide commercialization rights for pimicotinib, an investigational therapy developed by Abbisko Therapeutics Co., Ltd. for patients with tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT).

"We have the unique opportunity with SpringWorks to establish a leadership position in rare tumors and build a strong foundation for further investments in this area, where a large unmet medical need exists," said Peter Guenter, member of the Executive Board and CEO of Healthcare at Merck. "Together, Merck and SpringWorks are the perfect combination to improve outcomes for patients with rare tumors and bring therapeutic innovations to more patients worldwide while building on and reinforcing the early success of SpringWorks in the United States. For Merck, the planned acquisition will create long term, sustainable growth for our Healthcare business. Along with my successor Danny Bar-Zohar, we look forward to completing this strategic transaction and making a meaningful difference for patients whose lives are so profoundly affected by these complex and challenging tumors."

The agreed acquisition provides SpringWorks with an opportunity to expand its reach into markets beyond the U.S. and leverage the breadth of resources of Merck’s global Healthcare organization.

"From the outset, our focus at SpringWorks has been to create transformative solutions for patients suffering from serious diseases. We have successfully launched two best-in-class medicines in the United States, and with the aspiration to deliver our therapies worldwide, our journey is at a pivotal juncture. It became clear during our discussions with the Merck team that we share many core values, including a commitment to help more patients with rare tumors live longer, better lives," said Saqib Islam, CEO of SpringWorks Therapeutics. "We believe that by joining forces with Merck, we are not only creating significant, immediate value for our stakeholders, but we will also be able to leverage their resources and expertise to build a brighter future for the patient communities we seek to serve while also creating new opportunities for SpringWorks employees as part of a global organization."

SpringWorks’ U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved therapy, OGSIVEO (nirogacestat) is a first-in-class therapy that is the systemic standard of care for the treatment of adult patients with progressing desmoid tumors who require systemic treatment. SpringWorks’ marketing authorization application (MAA) for nirogacestat is under review with the European Medicines Agency (EMA), with a Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) decision expected in Q2 2025.

GOMEKLI (mirdametinib) is the first and only FDA-approved therapy for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 2 years of age and older with NF1-PN not amenable to complete resection. The FDA’s February 2025 approval of GOMEKLI was based on positive data from SpringWorks’ Phase 2b ReNeu trial, which showed GOMEKLI treatment resulted in a robust objective response rate, deep and durable reductions in tumor volume, and a manageable safety profile. With the approval, SpringWorks was granted a rare pediatric disease priority review voucher by the FDA. The marketing authorisation application for mirdametinib has been validated by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) with a potential approval in 2025. In addition, SpringWorks is advancing its pipeline with additional programs in other tumor settings that are currently underserved.

The transaction has been unanimously approved, by all those in attendance, by both the Merck and SpringWorks Boards of Directors and is expected to close in the second half of 2025, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including approval of SpringWorks’ shareholders and receipt of required regulatory approvals.

J.P. Morgan is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is acting as legal counsel to Merck. Centerview Partners LLC and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC are acting as joint financial advisors to SpringWorks, and Goodwin Procter LLP is acting as SpringWorks’ legal counsel.