KAN-003 seeks to improve outcomes for patients
with ICI-naive cancers and is undergoing preclinical studies in
collaboration with the MD Anderson Cancer Center.
PRINCETON, N.J., June 20,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Kanvas Biosciences, a full-stack
spatial biology company, today introduced its newest drug candidate
in its Immuno-oncology Program: KAN-003. The Kanvas platform
provides the unique ability to map host-microbiome interactions and
leverage the resulting data to design live biotherapeutic products
(LBPs), which can be used to create novel microbiome-based
therapies that complement existing therapies and provide a safe
method for targeting underlying disease processes with greater
efficacy. The company's lead drug candidate, KAN-001, is an LBP
demonstrating significant potential to improve outcomes for cancer
patients who have been resistant to immune checkpoint inhibitors
(ICIs). KAN-003 will be a consistent dose regimen that cancer
patients can take just before and with ICI treatment.
ICI treatment is a type of immunotherapy that can help fight a
variety of cancers, including malignant melanoma, non-small cell
lung cancer, classical Hodgkin lymphoma, head and neck squamous
cell carcinoma, urothelial carcinoma, and renal cell carcinoma.
ICIs block checkpoint proteins from binding with their partners,
which prevents the "off" signal from being sent to T cells and
allows T cells to kill cancer cells. However, only 20 - 40% of
patients respond to ICI therapy. For patients whose cancers don't
respond to ICI treatment, intervening with a fecal microbiota
transplant (FMT) is an alternative option. FMTs involve
transferring a microbial ecosystem from a healthy individual into
another person, often by colonoscopy. Still, FMT treatments are not
commercially scalable, risk the transfer of pathogens and in most
cases provide only a single dose.
To improve upon the effectiveness of FMTs, Kanvas has developed
its own microbiome-based drug pipeline. With KAN-003, the company's
goal is to dramatically increase the percentage of patients who
respond to ICI therapy across all ICI-approved cancer types. Both
KAN-001 and KAN-003 are currently undergoing preclinical studies in
collaboration with The University of
Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the institution's
Platform for Innovative Microbiome and Translational Research
(PRIME-TR). While KAN-003 is different from KAN-001 in terms of
donor source and the microbial ecosystem, the two candidates'
manufacturing strategies are identical, allowing Kanvas to
synergize its learnings and scale to drug production quickly.
"As we've learned time and again, there's no single cure for
cancer, but every cancer patient deserves safe and effective
options. Designed as an earlier treatment option, KAN-003 may
generate an earlier response and the chance to stabilize or send
cancers into remission for ICI-naive patients," said Matthew Cheng, co-founder and CEO of Kanvas
Biosciences. "We believe that the complex interaction of the gut
microbiome with human health can be unlocked with a series of
discrete, solvable steps, and FMT treatments have already revealed
what's possible for microbiome-based therapeutics. With KAN-001 and
now KAN-003, we're working to transform Immuno-oncology and patient
lives."
Kanvas is currently preparing a pre-Investigational New Drug
(IND) filing for KAN-003 for Q3 of 2025 and actively seeking
additional partners interested in supporting rigorous clinical
studies over the next few years. To learn more, contact the company
directly.
About Kanvas Biosciences
Kanvas Biosciences is a
spatial biology company building the world's first microbiome drug
screening, discovery and manufacturing platform to accelerate the
development of next generation live biotherapeutics. With an
unparalleled ability to spatially map the microbiome and profile
host gene expression, and manufacture complex consortia containing
hundreds of members that can restore microbiome health, the company
is uniquely positioned to develop novel therapeutics that can
significantly improve the lives of all patients living with
microbiome-associated diseases. Kanvas Biosciences' technology was
initially developed at Cornell
University and exclusively licensed. The company's notable
investors include DCVC, Lions Capital LLC, FemHealth Ventures,
Germin8, Ki Tua Fund, and Pangaea Ventures. Kanvas Biosciences is
headquartered in Princeton, NJ.
For more information, visit www.kanvasbio.com or follow the
company on LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Kanvas Biosciences