Kinnate Biopharma Inc. announced the addition of two new internally developed next generation development candidates to its targeted oncology pipeline -- a brain penetrant mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) inhibitor and a highly selective mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor gene (c-MET) inhibitor. The company also announced that it had approximately $231 million of cash, cash equivalents and investments as of March 31, 2023, which is anticipated to fund planned operations into early 2025. In-House Brain-Penetrant MEK Inhibitor Designed for Optimal Control in Potential Commercial Opportunities KIN-7136 is designed to be a next generation brain-penetrant MEK inhibitor for investigation in advanced adult solid tumors, primarily non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), that are MAPK pathway-driven, including those with brain metastases.

Kinnate expects to enter the clinic with KIN-7136 in the second half of 2023, pending U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance on its investigational new drug (IND) application. The goal of the Phase 1 clinical trial will be to establish safety and tolerability, and generate understanding of the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and early clinical activity of KIN-7136 as a monotherapy. In parallel, the company intends to evaluate KIN-7136 combined with exarafenib, Kinnate's investigational pan-RAF inhibitor.

Kinnate plans to prioritize exploring the KIN-7136 and exarafenib combination in BRAF Class I patients with NSCLC that have been previously treated with a RAF inhibitor and patients with NRAS mutant melanoma. This approach enables access to a potentially broader patient population to be evaluated with exarafenib, including those with brain metastases. KIN-7136 may serve as part of the company's long-term RAF combination strategy.