Kitov to Acquire Clinical Stage Candidate CM-24 Creating a Transformational Immuno-Oncology Company

Kitov Pharma announced it has signed an agreement to acquire FameWave Ltd., a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing CM-24, a clinical stage monoclonal antibody targeting CEACAM1, a novel immune checkpoint. Kitov is planning initiation of a Phase I/II study in early 2020 to evaluate the safety and efficacy of CM-24 in combination with an anti PD-1 inhibitor. Kitov to host a conference call to discuss the transaction. The scheduling of the call will be announced separately.

“Combining this transaction with our proprietary NT219 program, Kitov will become a clinical stage oncology company backed by the support of leading global life science funds. With the NT219 and CM-24 oncology candidates, we are opening an exciting future for Kitov and I’m looking forward to building on this momentum. We are very pleased that the investment and support of three leading global life science funds will enable Kitov to advance our clinical programs and expand our institutional investor base,” stated Kitov CEO, Isaac Israel.

“The acquisition of CM-24 is a tremendous opportunity for Kitov and our shareholders. We believe CM-24 has the potential to treat recurrent and advanced stage cancers including ovarian, colorectal, melanoma, lung, bladder and gastric cancers, and that our Phase I/II trial design could result in a strong display of the drug’s efficacy to the benefit of patients and their families. The journey Kitov started with Consensi™’s FDA approval and our recently announced distribution partnership for Consensi™ in the US, when combined with our plans to submit an IND for NT-219 in 2019 and the acquisition of CM-24, transforms Kitov into a robust immune-oncology development company,” Mr. Israel concluded.

Preclinical studies provide strong justification for CM-24’s mechanism of action in activating the immune system through multiple pathways as validated by world renowned researchers at Harvard Medical School and MIT, in an article published in Nature* as well as by Prof. Gal Markel from the Tel Hashomer Medical Center**. Additional preclinical studies showed that a combination of CM-24 with a PD-1 antibody resulted in a synergistic anti-cancer effect. Kitov plans to explore higher doses and to test CM-24 in combination with an anti PD-1 inhibitor. A significant amount of data is available for the existing Investigational New Drug (IND) to support the continuation of the clinical studies.

FameWave will enter into a joint clinical collaboration agreement, which is now in an advanced stage of negotiation with a major pharmaceutical company, for a planned Phase I/II study of CM-24 in combination with a PD-1 antibody in early 2020, with preliminary data expected in late 2020.