PHILADELPHIA, May 23, 2025 -- Verismo Therapeutics, a clinical-stage CAR T company pioneering the KIR-CAR platform, today provided additional details on the Trials in Progress poster presentation at the upcoming 2025 American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, being held from May 30 – June 3, 2025 in Chicago, IL. The trial Principal Investigator, Janos L. Tanyi, MD, PhD, of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, will present an overview of the ongoing STAR-101 Phase 1 clinical study (NCT05568680).
The STAR-101 trial is a first-in-human, multicenter, open-label, Phase 1 dose-escalation study designed to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of SynKIR-110 in patients with advanced mesothelin-expressing tumors, including ovarian cancer, mesothelioma, and cholangiocarcinoma who have received at least 1 prior line of systemic therapy. SynKIR-110 utilizes Verismo's novel KIR-CAR platform, employing a multi-chain signaling approach derived from natural killer cells in T cells. Preclinically, this unique mechanism has shown the ability to reduce T cell exhaustion and improve anti-tumor activity and functional persistence, thereby potentially overcoming critical hurdles that limit traditional CAR T cell therapies in solid tumors.
"This study represents an important advancement for ovarian cancer, a disease with few available treatment options," Dr. Tanyi said. "This novel therapy could have the potential to impact solid tumors by overcoming key limitations of existing CAR T cell treatments."
Poster Details:
Poster Board Number: 522a
Location: Hall A – Posters and Exhibits
Abstract Number: TPS5630
Abstract Title: SynKIR-CAR T Cell Advanced Research (STAR)-101 Phase 1 clinical trial for patients with advanced mesothelin-expressing ovarian cancer, mesothelioma, or cholangiocarcinoma.
Presenting Author: Janos L. Tanyi, M.D., Ph.D., Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Session Title: Gynecologic Cancer
Session Date: June 1, 2025, 9:00 AM-12:00 PM CDT
The Poster will be made available on the company's website following the presentation.
About the KIR-CAR Platform
The KIR-CAR platform is a multi-chain CAR T cell therapy that has shown highly effective prolonged solid tumor treatment in otherwise CAR-resistant preclinical animal models with challenging tumor microenvironments. Using NK cell derived KIR and DAP12 split signaling provides a novel paired activation and co-stimulation separate from the usual T cell stimulation pathways. KIR-CAR also enables sustained chimeric receptor expression with improved long-term CAR T cell function and decreased T cell exhaustion. This results in CAR T cell resistance to tumor immunosuppression, prolonged functional persistence and improved tumor elimination. Together, this platform provides the potential for improving CAR T treatment in both solid and hematologic tumors.
About Verismo Therapeutics
Verismo Therapeutics, a subsidiary of HLB Innovation, is a pioneer in multi-chain KIR-CAR technology, with assets SynKIR™-110 and SynKIR™-310 currently in Phase 1 clinical trials. Verismo is the only company developing the KIR-CAR platform, using a modified NK cell derived receptor and DAP12 pairing, designed to improve T cell functional persistence and reduce exhaustion, resulting in improved efficacy against challenging tumors. The KIR-CAR platform technology was developed specifically to address areas of high unmet medical need, including advanced solid tumors and B cell associated disorders and malignancies. For more information, visit: www.verismotherapeutics.com
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including, but are not limited to, those statements regarding our expectations for the timing, progress, and results of clinical trials; potential regulatory approvals; anticipated benefits, safety, and efficacy of our product candidates; our product development strategies; and other statements that are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ include, among others, risks related to clinical trials, regulatory processes, market acceptance, financial projections, and our ability to successfully develop and commercialize our product candidates. Forward-looking statements in this release represent our beliefs and assumptions only as of the date hereof, and we expressly disclaim any obligation to update these statements as new information becomes available, except as required by law.
Editor's Note: The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) holds equity interests in Verismo's parent company HLB Innovation and has licensed certain Penn-owned intellectual property to Verismo. Penn's Perelman School of Medicine receives funding for research and development of certain Verismo products. Penn may receive future financial benefits related to the licensing of certain Penn intellectual property to Verismo.
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