A Pittsburgh-based biotech firm is celebrating the pipeline expansion of its research and development of oncology-based products after getting U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval on an Investigational New Drug (IND) application.
Krystal Biotech Inc. (NASDAQ: KRYS) announced the news in a press release on Wednesday that its KB707 drug candidate can begin being used for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic solid tumor malignancies in select patients who have solid tumors that are accessible via injection.
"The KB707 program leverages our learnings and clinical experience in two tissue areas, the skin and the lung, and underscores the broader potential of our HSV-1 platform to deliver all types of exogenous genetic material and improve outcomes for patients with debilitating diseases," Krish S. Krishnan, chairman and CEO of Krystal Biotech, said in the release.
The company said it expects to enter into a Phase 1 study of its KB707 candidate during the second half of 2023.
"There remains an urgent unmet need for new therapies in cutaneous oncology, including for patients that do not respond to current first-line options and for the many who eventually progress on available therapy," Dr. Jason Luke, director of the Cancer Immunotherapeutic Center at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, said in the release. "As the lead investigator on multiple practice changing immunotherapy trials, I have seen first-hand the benefits that can be realized through effective immune modulation and am excited about the potential of Krystal's approach for localized, sustained cytokine delivery."
