Kiadis Pharma to Acquire CytoSen Therapeutics to Advance Smart NK Cell Platform and Transform Post-Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Care

VCBeat (WeChat Official Account: vcbeat) has learned that on April 17, Kiadis Pharma, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced the acquisition of medical technology company CytoSen Therapeutics. Upon completion of the transaction, Dr. Carl June, Scientific Advisor at CytoSen, will join Kiadis’ Scientific Advisory Board.

It should be noted that the acquisition is still subject to approval by Kiadis shareholders. The company will convene a special general meeting of shareholders on May 29, at which a vote will be held on whether to approve the acquisition proposal. Currently, foundations represented by Draper Esprit and Life Sciences Partners have signed agreements consenting to the acquisition. As the two largest shareholders of Kiadis, they collectively hold a 31.5% stake in the company. Should the acquisition fail due to rejection at the shareholders’ meeting, CytoSen will receive a $1 million break-up fee, payable in cash or Kiadis shares.

Kiadis Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, specializes in treating complications arising from hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in patients with blood cancers. The company’s flagship product, ATIR101, is primarily indicated for managing HSCT-related complications in hematologic malignancies, particularly graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and cancer relapse. ATIR101 is a patient-specific T-cell product designed to be administered alongside haploidentical HSCT to facilitate adaptation to the newly transplanted immune system. Kiadis’s T-cell therapy, ATIR101, is currently under regulatory review in the European Union and is undergoing global Phase III clinical trials.

The private medical technology company CytoSen was co-founded by Dean Lee, Stefan Ciurea, and Robert Igarashi, who are leading physicians and scientists at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH), MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), and the University of Central Florida (UCF), respectively. The company’s proprietary nanoparticle platform unlocks the anticancer potential of natural killer (NK) cell therapy. This platform is built on technology exclusively licensed from UCF and further developed at NCH.

NK cells are among the body’s first lines of immune defense, possessing an innate capacity to rapidly and selectively destroy abnormal cells, such as cancerous or virus-infected cells. Research by CytoSen on NK cell biology, along with emerging early clinical evidence, suggests that NK cell immunotherapy has the potential to become a cutting-edge approach in cancer immunotherapy. Currently, CytoSen scientists are actively researching and developing their proprietary nanoparticle platform to engineer effective and “smart” NK cells. CytoSen’s NK cell candidate product, CSDT002-NK, is expected to enter clinical trials in the United States in 2020.

This acquisition grants Kiadis simultaneous ownership of two synergistic, proprietary cell immunotherapy platforms: NK cells and T cells. This has the potential to revolutionize post-HSCT patient care and enable Kiadis to establish a new cancer therapy pipeline focused on improving prognostic care services for patients following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Arthur Lahr, CEO of Kiadis Pharma, stated, “Our vision is to harness the power of the human immune system to help patients with life-threatening diseases. With the addition of CytoSen, we can create cell therapies that combine both innate and adaptive immunity. T cells and NK cells both have the potential to make HSCT safer and more effective. They hold the promise of revolutionizing the scope of HSCT applications, making it suitable for a broader patient population.”

Commenting on the acquisition, Carl H. June stated, “I am pleased to join Kiadis’ Scientific Advisory Board. NK cell therapy has significantly advanced the field of immuno-oncology, and I believe that combining NK cells with T cells will help more patients.”

Dean A. Lee, Co-founder of CytoSen, stated, “CytoSen boasts state-of-the-art NK cell technology, while Kiadis Pharma brings extensive experience in cell therapy and medical devices. This collaboration will be a boon for patients.”

(Compiled by Li Chengping)