Kairos Pharma Ltd. (NYSE American: KAPA) announced a strategic collaboration with Bayer to evaluate its lead antibody candidate, ENV-105 (carotuximab), in combination with Bayer’s XOFIGO (radium-223 dichloride) for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) involving bone. The partnership aims to address a critical unmet need for patients who develop resistance to standard therapies.
ENV-105 is a first-in-class CD105/BMP signaling inhibitor designed to overcome cancer drug resistance. It is currently being evaluated in Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials. The company previously reported interim Phase 2 data showing median progression-free survival of more than 13 months in prostate cancer patients. XOFIGO is the only FDA-approved alpha-emitting radiopharmaceutical for symptomatic bone metastases in this patient population.
The collaboration will investigate whether ENV-105 can enhance and extend responses to XOFIGO by targeting CD105, a protein associated with treatment resistance following androgen receptor inhibition and radiation therapy. Preclinical studies have demonstrated ENV-105’s ability to re-sensitize tumors to radiation, and management believes combining the therapy with XOFIGO could provide a more durable treatment option for patients with advanced prostate cancer. This approach could potentially improve outcomes for patients who have limited options after progressing on current therapies.
Kairos Pharma, based in Los Angeles, California, is focused on oncology therapeutics that leverage structural biology to overcome drug resistance and immune suppression. The company’s lead candidate, ENV-105, targets CD105, which has been identified as a key driver of resistance and disease relapse in response to standard therapy. By reversing drug resistance, ENV-105 aims to restore the effectiveness of standard therapies across multiple cancer types. Currently, ENV-105 is in a Phase 2 clinical trial for castrate-resistant prostate cancer and a Phase 1 trial for non-small cell lung cancer, addressing significant unmet medical needs. As of the date of this press release, ENV-105 has not been approved as safe or effective by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any other comparable foreign regulator.
The significance of this collaboration lies in its potential to offer a new treatment paradigm for mCRPC patients with bone metastases. Bone metastases are a common and debilitating complication of advanced prostate cancer, often leading to pain, fractures, and reduced quality of life. Xofigo has been shown to improve overall survival in this setting, but responses can be limited by resistance mechanisms. By combining with ENV-105, which targets the resistance pathway, the hope is to prolong the duration of response and improve patient outcomes. The partnership also underscores the growing interest in combination strategies that tackle resistance mechanisms in oncology.
For more information on Kairos Pharma, visit https://ibn.fm/KAPA. The full press release is available at https://ibn.fm/emSc4.
