Kirilys Therapeutics Acquires ASN-004, a 5T4-targeting Antibody Drug Conjugate being evaluated in Ph1 Oncology

Ongoing Phase 1 clinical study is evaluating the safety, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of ASN-004 in treatment refractory solid tumors

San Francisco, CA, September 1, 2022 — Kirilys Therapeutics, Inc., a multi-asset biotechnology company founded by investment firm Catalys Pacific and supported by Lightspeed Venture Partners, completed the acquisition of ASN-004 from Asana Biosciences, Inc. Kirilys plans to present the first clinical data update on ASN-004 at ASCO 2024 in Chicago, IL.
ASN004 is a 5T4-targeted Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) that shows high binding affinity to the human 5T4 antigen and delivers approximately 10 cytotoxic Auristatin F Hydroxypropylamide (AF-HPA) payload drug molecules per ADC molecule. ASN-004 has been previously demonstrated to have robust antitumor effects including tumor regression in preclinical tumor models.

A monotherapy Phase 1 dose escalation study (NCT04410224) is currently ongoing and PK, PD, safety and exploratory efficacy data from an interim analysis including the first 4 dose levels (1.5 – 12 mg/m2) is planned for presentation at ASCO 2024.

 

About Kirilys Therapeutics, Inc.
Kirilys Therapeutics, Inc. is a private, preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to the development of multiple precision oncology assets. Kirilys’ initial asset is KRLS-017, a novel CDK7 inhibitor with the potential to improve the treatment of multiple cancers. Kirilys is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. For more information about Kirilys, please visit www.kirilys.com.

 

About Catalys Pacific
Catalys Pacific is a life sciences venture capital firm focusing on early-stage investments. The firm’s mission is to provide healthcare solutions for patients worldwide through the creation of and investment in biotech companies. Catalys Pacific is led by a global team versed in working closely with its partners in academia, biotech, venture capital and the pharmaceutical industry worldwide with an emphasis in Japan. The firm maintains offices in Tokyo and Kanagawa (Shonan Health Innovation Park), Japan and in San Francisco, California. For more information about Catalys Pacific, please visit www.catalyspacific.com.

 

About Lightspeed Venture Partners
Lightspeed Venture Partners is a multi-stage venture capital firm focused on accelerating disruptive innovations and trends in the Enterprise, Consumer, and Health sectors. Over the past two decades, the Lightspeed team has backed hundreds of entrepreneurs and helped build more than 400+ companies globally. Lightspeed and its affiliates currently manage $10.5B across the global Lightspeed platform, with investment professionals and advisors in Silicon Valley, Israel, India, China, Southeast Asia, and Europe. For more information, please visit www.lsvp.com.