Verismo Therapeutics Announces Strategic Partnership with IFLI to Support SynKIR™-310 Development in Follicular Lymphoma

• Verismo will receive up to $4.05 million USD in investments from the Institute for Follicular Lymphoma Innovation (IFLI).

• The partnership with IFLI will accelerate the clinical development of SynKIR™-310 in Follicular Lymphoma (FL) by leveraging IFLI's expertise and network, expanding clinical sites, and increasing patient enrollment.

Verismo Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing the novel KIR-CAR platform for solid tumors and blood cancers, today announced a strategic investment from the Institute for Follicular Lymphoma Innovation (IFLI), a global non-profit foundation dedicated to advancing treatment options for follicular lymphoma (FL). This partnership aims to enhance Verismo's SynKIR™-310 pipeline and provide catalytic investment for the pipeline's FL arm, accelerating the development of next-generation cell therapies that address high unmet medical needs.

The investment from IFLI will help advance Verismo's SynKIR™-310 pipeline, which aims to treat FL along with other non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtypes. IFLI's deep expertise in FL will be crucial in guiding Verismo through FL-specific clinical considerations and aiding in patient recruitment.

"We are thrilled to receive this strategic investment from IFLI, which shares our vision for developing transformative therapies for patients suffering from aggressive tumors and lymphomas," said Bryan Kim, CEO of Verismo Therapeutics. "This funding will enable us to expedite the clinical development of our SynKIR™-310 program, which is currently in Phase 1 clinical trial. IFLI's support will enable us to bring our novel therapies to FL patients more quickly and efficiently."

Verismo Therapeutics is currently running a multicenter, open-label study of a single infusion of SynKIR™-310 in participants with post-CAR T and CAR-naive relapsed/refractory B-NHL (NCT06544265), including FL. This clinical study is a basket trial in B-NHL subtypes. The design includes two dose levels and an expansion cohort at the Recommended Phase 2 Dose (RP2D), with a total enrollment of up to 18 patients. With IFLI's investment totaling up to $4,050,000 over 3 years, Verismo aims to expand the number of FL-focused clinical sites to enroll more FL patients.

"IFLI is excited to support the next wave of transformative cell therapies with Verismo lead SynKIR™-310 targeting CD19," said Michel Azoulay, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer of IFLI. "We expect that positive Phase 1safety and preliminary efficacy data will support accelerated clinical development in FL for patients not responding to first line immunotherapy as well as exploration in additional NHL."

IFLI has a proven track record of advancing lymphoma treatments through strategic funding and collaborative partnerships, including its support for groundbreaking research at Washington University in St. Louis, which leverages ctDNA sequencing to improve the understanding and treatment of FL.

About the Institute for Follicular Lymphoma Innovation

The Institute for Follicular Lymphoma Innovation (IFLI) is a global, non-profit, private foundation dedicated to accelerating the development of innovative treatment options for patients with follicular lymphoma (FL). IFLI supports cutting-edge research and technology to lead to the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics and/or biomarkers for the treatment of FL, and to understand the biology of FL. The foundation deploys its budget across grants, project-based partnerships, and venture philanthropic investments to achieve its innovation goals. IFLI promotes collaboration and works to enable data sharing and the exchange of knowledge and expertise among researchers and institutions advancing FL research. Learn more at www.i-fli.org

About Verismo Therapeutics

Verismo Therapeutics, a subsidiary of HLB Innovation, is a pioneer in multi-chain KIR-CAR technology, with its first 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 persistence and efficacy against aggressive 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. 

About the KIR-CAR Platform

The KIR-CAR platform is a multi-chain CAR T cell therapy and has been shown in preclinical animal models to be capable of maintaining antitumor T cell activity even in challenging tumor microenvironments. Using NK cell derived KIR and DAP12 split signaling provides a novel combined activation and co-stimulation separate from the usual T cell stimulation pathways. It also enables sustained chimeric receptor expression and improves KIR-CAR T cell long term function. This results in prolonged T cell functional persistence and leads to regression of solid tumors in preclinical models that are resistant to traditional CAR T cell therapies.

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.