Kancera AB (publ) reported new preclinical results supporting the potential for the company's Fractalkine axis blocking candidate drugs to increase the efficacy of standard-of-care drug treatment of B-cell lymphomas, such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Kancera is hereby reporting promising results showing that its Fractalkine axis blocking candidate drugs KAND567 and KAND145; increase cell death of CLL cells taken from patients with progressive disease by blocking their nursing cells; leave non-tumor promoting healthy monocytes and B-cells functionally active Kancera has previously announced the decision to initiate clinical trials with KAND567 in treatment resistant ovarian cancer. The goal is to restore sensitivity for platinum-chemotherapy through KAND567's novel mechanism of action, which includes the ability to block cancer associated monotcytes and macrophages.

Transformed monocytes, also called "nursing cells", are known to contribute to treatment resistance in B-cell lymphomas, such as CLL, by feeding growth stimulators and nutrients to leukemic B-cells. No existing treatment has been successful in blocking this stimulation. Independent researchers have shown that the Fractalkine system regulates the interaction between monocytes and leukemic B-cells.

To study this further, Kancera has conducted research in collaboration with Professors Håkan Mellstedt and Anders Österborg at Karolinska Institutet to determine how Kanceras Fraktalkine axis blocking candidate drugs may neutralize nursing cells and thereby render leukemic B-cells sensitive to standard of care drug treatment. Kancera will now engage with key opinion leaders in the field to review these promising study results and determine a possible line of treatment positioning of its Fractalkine axis blockers in B-cell lymphoma. In addition, these results will add value to development and partnering activities in other prioritized indications.