Kronos Bio Announces Pipeline Update and p300 KAT Inhibitor Development Candidate

Phase 1b portion of phase 1b/2 lanraplenib study in patients with relapsed/refractory FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia completed; review of data does not support continuing to phase 2

New development candidate KB-9558 inhibits the KAT domain of p300 and thereby modulates IRF4, a key driver of multiple myeloma; IND-enabling studies underway for expected completion in Q4 2024

Kronos Bio’s first development candidate, KB-0742, cleared 80 mg dose in dose escalation portion of the phase 1/2 trial; trial progresses in solid tumor expansion cohorts

Expected cash runway maintained into 2026 

SAN MATEO, Calif. and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kronos Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: KRON), a company dedicated to transforming the lives of those affected by cancer, today announced an update on its pipeline. After a review of data from the phase 1b portion of its phase 1b/2 trial of lanraplenib in combination with gilteritinib in FLT3-mutated relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the Company has decided not to proceed to phase 2. The Company is open to further development of lanraplenib, a SYK inhibitor, with a partner.

Kronos Bio also announced the designation of a new development candidate, KB-9558, which targets the lysine acetyltransferase (KAT) domain of p300, a critical node of the IRF4 transcription regulatory network (TRN). IRF4 is a key driver in multiple myeloma. KB-9558 is the second molecule to emerge from Kronos Bio’s proprietary product engine and is currently in IND-enabling studies, which are expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Kronos Bio’s first internally discovered molecule, KB-0742, an inhibitor of CDK9, has demonstrated on-mechanism, single agent anti-tumor activity and a manageable safety profile in pre-treated patients with transcriptionally addicted solid tumors. KB-0742 recently cleared the 80 mg dose in the dose escalation portion of the ongoing phase 1/2 trial. Patients currently in the two expansion cohorts will now be able to receive the 80 mg dose. The Company expects to provide data from the expansion phase of the trial in mid-2024.

“Kronos Bio was founded with a clear vision: to tackle the challenge of deregulated transcription, a hallmark of cancer,” said Norbert Bischofberger, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Kronos Bio. “To best meet this challenge, we pursued a multi-pronged strategy using our proprietary product engine to map TRNs, find their key modulators, and identify novel drug candidates targeting those modulators. Simultaneously, we used our TRN mapping capabilities to identify existing clinical assets that we could acquire to accelerate our development efforts, such as lanraplenib. While we’re disappointed not to bring lanraplenib forward, it’s exciting to see our discovery efforts lead to the designation of a second internally discovered development candidate.”