Allovir and Kalaris Therapeutics Merge to Focus on Retinal Disease Therapies
Key Insights
Allovir Inc. will merge with Kalaris Therapeutics (search) Inc., shifting focus to therapies for neovascular and exudative retinal diseases.
The combined company, Kalaris Therapeutics (search) Inc. (KLRS), will advance TH-103, an anti-VEGF (search) treatment, currently in a Phase I study for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (search) (nAMD).
Phase I study data readout for TH-103 is anticipated in the third quarter of 2025, marking a key milestone for the merged entity's pipeline.
Allovir Inc. is set to merge with Kalaris Therapeutics (search) Inc., a privately held company, to pivot towards developing treatments for neovascular and exudative retinal diseases. This strategic move comes as Allovir seeks a new direction following challenges faced since late December.
The merger will result in the combined entity being named Kalaris Therapeutics (search) Inc., and its shares will be traded on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol KLRS. A key asset in Kalaris' portfolio is TH-103, an anti-VEGF (search) treatment currently undergoing a Phase I study. Data from this study is expected in the third quarter of 2025.
The primary focus of the merged company will be to advance the development of TH-103 for treating neovascular age-related macular degeneration (search) (nAMD), diabetic macular edema (search), and retinal vein occlusion (search). The ongoing Phase I study is specifically evaluating TH-103 as a treatment for nAMD.
This merger represents a significant shift in strategic direction, leveraging Kalaris' existing assets to target prevalent retinal diseases.