Closely held Kleo Pharmaceuticals entered into a research collaboration with South Korea-based Green Cross LabCell, a pioneer in the next generation of allogeneic, or “off-the-shelf” natural killer cell therapies, to rapidly advance testing of their technology platforms in combination as a potential therapy for COVID-19 patients.
Earlier this year, Kleo received approval from the FDA to proceed with an antibody recruiting molecule (ARM) natural killer cell combination therapy clinical trial for the treatment of newly diagnosed, multiple myeloma patients.
“Being able to rapidly develop novel COVID-19 therapies highlights core attributes of Kleo’s platform technology ‒ namely speed and modularity,” Dr. Doug Manion, CEO of Kleo, said in a statement.
Green Cross’ allogeneic natural killer cells are already in late-stage clinical development in immuno-oncology and projected to advance into the clinic for COVID-19 in the second half of this year.
Kleo’s ARM technology platform has the potential to rapidly develop fully synthetic bifunctional molecules that redirect a patient’s own antibodies for therapeutic effect. Regarding a COVID-19 therapeutic, the ARM has multiple proposed mechanisms of action. First, the ARM acts as a neutralizing antibody to block direct binding on the virus to human cells. Second, the ARM enlists immune effector cells to eliminate viral particles and/or infected cells. Third, the ARM can produce a long-term vaccination effect by activating and expanding immune memory cells.
