July 21, 2021 -- Samsung Biologics has inked a deal providing end-to-end development and manufacturing services to advance Kineta's anti-V-domain immunoglobulin suppressor of T-cell activation (VISTA) antibody being developed for the treatment of solid tumors.
Samsung will provide cell line development, clinical drug substance, and drug product manufacturing services to support an investigational new drug application for Kineta's KVA12.1. Cell line development will be completed at Samsung's San Francisco site, and clinical trial materials will be made at its South Korea site.
VISTA is a key driver of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and is overexpressed on myeloid-derived suppressor cells and regulatory T cells. It is a critical myeloid cell immune checkpoint, and VISTA blockade can reprogram suppressive myeloid cells and reactivate antitumor immune function. The goal with KVA12.1 use is to reprogram the tumor microenvironment in hard-to-treat solid tumors.