Kineta Presents New Preclinical Data at ESMO Virtual Congress 2020 on its VISTA Antagonist Antibodies

SEATTLE, Dec. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kineta, Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the development of novel immunotherapies in oncology and neuroscience, announced today the presentation of new preclinical data on its VISTA antagonist antibodies at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Virtual Congress 2020.

Thierry Guillaudeux, PhD, Senior Vice President Immuno-oncology at Kineta, presented the new preclinical data on the company's fully human anti-VISTA antibodies in a virtual poster presentation on December 9^th, 2020.  Key findings from the presentation include the following:

• VISTA is highly expressed on myeloid cells granulocytes, NK and NKT cells
• VISTA is also expressed at moderate levels on Treg CD4 and CD8 T cells, while CD4/CD69 activated T cells are high expressers
• VISTA binds to the 5 putative receptors already identified at either neutral or acidic pH
• Kineta's anti-VISTA antibodies selectively inhibit these interactions with different potencies

"The results presented at ESMO further validate VISTA as a novel innate immune target with the potential to reprogram the tumor microenvironment and improve survival for patients with cancer," said Thierry Guillaudeux. "Kineta's anti-VISTA antibodies demonstrate exceptional selectivity and potency.  We have several outstanding antibodies from which to choose a lead candidate and initiate IND enabling studies in early 2021."

VISTA is a key driver of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and is overexpressed on myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and regulatory T cells (Tregs). It is a critical myeloid cell immune-checkpoint, and VISTA blockade can reprogram suppressive myeloid cells and reactivate antitumor immune function.  Blocking VISTA activates an immune cell cascade that increases T cell effector functions to drive an efficient anti-tumor response. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that anti-VISTA antibodies mediate tumor growth inhibition when administered alone and display additive efficacy in combination with PD-(L)1 and CTLA-4 targeted therapy. 

Presentation Details:

Click on the link below to take you to the Kineta website where you can view the presentation:

VISTA Publications – Kineta VISTA Poster Presentation at ESMO Virtual Congress 2020 

Kineta, Inc. is a clinical stage biotechnology company committed to developing disruptive life science technologies that address unmet patient needs.  We have leveraged our expertise in immunology and innate immunity to advance a focused pipeline of investigational drugs in oncology and neuroscience.  We actively collaborate with a broad array of private, government and industry partners to advance our innovative products.  For more information on Kineta visit our website, www.kinetabio.com, follow us on Twitter at @kinetabio, LinkedIn and Like us on facebook.com/KinetaBio.

NOTICE: This document contains certain forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements regarding Kineta's and its affiliates' plans for pre-clinical and clinical studies, regulatory filings, investor returns and anticipated drug effects in human subjects. You are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties inherent in Kineta's and its subsidiaries' businesses which could significantly affect expected results, including without limitation progress of drug development, ability to raise capital to fund drug development, clinical testing and regulatory approval, developments in raw material and personnel costs, and legislative, fiscal, and other regulatory measures. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and neither Kineta nor its affiliates undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the issuance of this press release.

Contact Jacques Bouchy
[email protected]
(206) 378-0400

SOURCE Kineta, Inc.