Kinnate Biopharma Inc. to Present Pre-Clinical Data from its RAF Kinase Inhibitor Program at Annual ASCO Meeting

Rhea-AI Summary

Kinnate Biopharma Inc. (Nasdaq: KNTE) announced that pre-clinical data for its RAF inhibitor candidate, KIN-2787, will be presented at the 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting from June 4-8, 2021. The findings highlight KIN-2787's potential in treating actionable RAF mutations not addressed by existing therapies. BRAF mutations are found in about 6% of human cancers, with significant portions classified as Class II and III, which current treatments do not effectively target. A Phase 1 clinical trial for KIN-2787 is expected to begin in 2021, focusing on advanced solid tumors with BRAF alterations.

Positive

• Data from KIN-2787 selected for ASCO presentation, indicating recognition by the scientific community.
• Potential to target Class II and III BRAF mutations, addressing an unmet medical need.
• Phase 1 clinical trial for KIN-2787 expected to initiate in 2021, demonstrating commitment to advancing treatment options.

Negative

• Current BRAF inhibitors are ineffective against Class II and III mutations, indicating a competitive challenge.
• Kinnate is a preclinical-stage company, which poses inherent risks in clinical advancement and regulatory approval.

Kinnate Biopharma Inc. (Nasdaq: KNTE) (“Kinnate”), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of small molecule kinase inhibitors for difficult-to-treat, genomically defined cancers, today announced that data from pre-clinical studies of its RAF inhibitor candidate, KIN-2787, have been selected for a poster presentation at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. The ASCO meeting will be held virtually from June 4-8, 2021.

“As we advance towards the initiation of clinical studies for our lead RAF inhibitor program, we are honored to be selected by the ASCO Scientific Program Committee to present findings from our pre-clinical studies of KIN-2787 at this year’s Annual Meeting,” said Eric Murphy, Ph.D., co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Kinnate. “We are enthusiastic about the advancement of KIN-2787 to address actionable RAF mutations in molecular subtypes that are not addressed by existing drugs or are resistant to available standard-of-care therapies.”

Oncogenic BRAF gene alterations, leading to aberrantly activated BRAF monomers (Class I mutations) or dimers (Class II and Class III mutations), are observed in approximately 6% of all human cancers. First-generation BRAF inhibitors targeting Class I BRAF mutants, including dabrafenib, encorafenib, and vemurafenib, provide significant clinical benefit to patients with BRAF V600 mutation-driven melanoma and select solid tumors as monotherapies or in combination with other targeted therapies. The currently approved BRAF inhibitors have not, however, proven to be effective in patients with Class II or III BRAF alterations. For example, approximately 62% of BRAF mutations in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and approximately 21% of BRAF mutations in melanoma are identified as Class II and Class III BRAF mutations where the currently approved Class I inhibitors are not effective.

The data to be presented at the ASCO annual meeting were derived from pre-clinical studies evaluating the efficacy and tolerability of KIN-2787 in vitro and in vivo in BRAF mutation-driven human cancer models. A phase 1 dose escalation and expansion clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of KIN-2787 monotherapy in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors harboring BRAF gene alterations, including Class II and III mutations, is expected to initiate in 2021.

Additional information on the ASCO annual meeting can be found online at: https://meetings.asco.org. Per ASCO’s Embargo & Release Information, complete abstracts will be released to the public on ASCO’s Meeting Library, https://meetinglibrary.asco.org, at 5:00 p.m. ET on May 19, 2021.

Kinnate’s poster presentation will become available for on-demand viewing beginning Friday, June 4, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. ET, and can be accessed at: https://conferences.asco.org/am/attend.

About Kinnate

Kinnate is focused on the discovery and development of small molecule kinase inhibitors for difficult-to-treat, genomically defined cancers. Kinnate’s mission is to expand the reach of targeted therapeutics by developing products for underserved populations. Kinnate utilizes its deep expertise in structure-based drug discovery, translational research, and patient-driven precision medicine, which it refers to as the Kinnate Discovery Engine, to develop targeted therapies. Based in San Francisco and San Diego, California, the Kinnate team is composed of drug discovery experts supported by a distinguished group of scientific advisors. For more information, please visit www.kinnate.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the expected timing for initiation of our clinical trials and the potential benefits and treatment indications of our product candidates. Words such as “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects,” “intends,” “will,” “goal,” “potential” and similar expressions are also intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends. Such expectations and projections may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, including risks related to operating as a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a limited operating history; our ability to raise additional capital to finance our operations; our ability to discover, advance through the preclinical and clinical development of, obtain regulatory approval for and commercialize our product candidates; the novel approach we are taking to discover and develop drugs; our ability to timely file and obtain approval of investigational new drug applications for our planned clinical trials; the potential for any clinical trial results to differ from our preclinical trial results; negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, including planned clinical trials and ongoing and planned preclinical trials; competition in our industry; regulatory developments in the United States and other countries; our ability to attract, hire and retain highly skilled executive officers and employees; difficulties in managing our growth; our ability to protect our intellectual property; reliance on third parties to conduct our preclinical studies and any future clinical trials, and to manufacture our product candidates; general economic and market conditions; and other risks.

These and other risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors are further described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), as well as in our subsequent filings we make with the SEC. New risk factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for our management to predict all risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in, or implied by, any forward-looking statements. Investors should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release, and except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason in the future.

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FAQ

What is Kinnate Biopharma's focus regarding cancer treatment?

Kinnate Biopharma focuses on developing small molecule kinase inhibitors for genomically defined, difficult-to-treat cancers.

When will Kinnate present data on KIN-2787?

Kinnate will present data on KIN-2787 at the ASCO Annual Meeting from June 4-8, 2021.

What is the significance of KIN-2787's pre-clinical data?

The pre-clinical data for KIN-2787 highlights its potential to target actionable RAF mutations, which current therapies do not address.

When is the clinical trial for KIN-2787 expected to start?

The Phase 1 clinical trial for KIN-2787 is expected to begin in 2021.

What types of BRAF mutations does KIN-2787 target?

KIN-2787 is designed to target Class II and III BRAF mutations, which are not effectively treated by existing BRAF inhibitors.