Verismo Therapeutics Expands KIR-CAR Solid Tumor Pipeline with Novel CLDN6 Binder from Penn Collaboration
Key Insights
Verismo Therapeutics (search) has secured a novel CLDN6-targeted binder through a research collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania, expanding its KIR-CAR platform into a second solid tumor antigen program.
CLDN6 is a clinically validated solid tumor target with limited expression in healthy adult tissues, already being pursued via CAR-T, ADC, and bispecific antibody modalities.
The new preclinical program complements the clinical-stage SynKIR-110 targeting mesothelin, which recently reported early signals of tumor reduction in the STAR-101 Phase 1 trial.
Verismo Therapeutics (search), a U.S. subsidiary of HLB Innovation (search) and a clinical-stage multi-chain CAR T cell therapy company, announced on July 21, 2026, that it has secured a novel solid tumor-targeted binder recognizing claudin 6 (search) (CLDN6) through a sponsored research collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. The new preclinical program marks the second solid tumor antigen in Verismo's KIR-CAR pipeline, alongside the clinical-stage mesothelin-targeting candidate SynKIR-110.
The CLDN6 binder was discovered by the research team of Dr. Donald Siegel, M.D., Ph.D., Co-Founder and Co-Chair of Verismo's Scientific Advisory Board and Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Penn. This represents the second binder discovered through the Verismo-Penn collaboration, following the DS191 binder applied to SynKIR-310, which is currently being evaluated in the CELESTIAL-301 Phase 1 trial for relapsed or refractory B cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (search) (NCT06544265).
CLDN6: A Clinically Validated Solid Tumor Target
CLDN6 has emerged as one of the most compelling tumor-specific antigens in solid tumor immunotherapy. It is known to be expressed in a variety of cancer types while showing limited or absent expression in healthy adult tissues, making it an attractive target for next-generation immuno-oncology therapies. Recent clinical advancements have established CLDN6 as a validated solid tumor target for CAR T cells, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and bispecific immune therapies, with demonstrated anti-tumor activity across multiple CLDN6-positive cancers.
"CLDN6 is one of the most compelling tumor-specific antigens to emerge in solid tumor immunotherapy, with highly restricted expression in healthy adult tissues and clinically validated activity across multiple solid tumor cancers," said Dr. Siegel. "We identified this CLDN6 binder through the same rigorous in-house discovery approach that produced the DS191 binder now being used to treat patients in the CELESTIAL-301 Phase 1 SynKIR-310 trial."
Addressing CAR-T Limitations in Solid Tumors
Improving the persistence and durability of response has been identified as a leading cause of CAR T failure in solid tumors — a challenge that Verismo's multi-chain KIR-CAR platform is specifically designed to address. The platform uses a modified NK cell-derived killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) paired with DAP12, splitting target binding and T cell activation signals to provide a novel paired immune-receptor activation independent from CD3 signaling and co-stimulation.
This architecture is designed to improve T cell functional persistence and reduce exhaustion by eliminating the constant background activation and early T cell exhaustion observed in conventional single-chain CAR T therapy. Verismo plans to combine its proprietary CLDN6 binder with the multi-chain KIR-CAR platform to overcome the persistence limitations of existing CLDN6-targeted therapies and develop cell therapies with improved anti-cancer immune responses in solid tumors.
Pipeline Expansion and Clinical Progress
Verismo is currently conducting two Phase 1 clinical trials in the United States: the STAR-101 trial evaluating SynKIR-110 targeting mesothelin in solid tumors (NCT05568680), and the CELESTIAL-301 trial evaluating SynKIR-310 in hematological cancers (NCT06544265). According to the company, initial interim results from SynKIR-110 were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) conference in April 2026, confirming safety and early signals of tumor reduction in the first three dose cohorts.
"Pairing the CLDN6 antigen with Verismo's multi-chain KIR-CAR architecture is a deliberate strategy designed to address challenges that have limited prior CLDN6-directed approaches," said Bryan Kim, CEO and Co-Founder of Verismo Therapeutics (search). "We are fortunate to be working with Dr. Siegel and the outstanding research team at Penn to assess the potential for our multi-chain KIR-CAR platform to overcome the limitations of current CAR T therapies in the treatment of solid tumors."
Laura Johnson, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Verismo, added: "We are excited to expand our preclinical assets with CLDN6 for targeting solid tumors in cancers with high unmet needs, especially as a complement to our lead candidate SynKIR-110, which recently reported positive early clinical data at the AACR meeting for advanced mesothelin-expressing solid tumors, including ovarian cancer (search), mesothelioma (search), and cholangiocarcinoma (search)."
The new CLDN6 program is designed to complement SynKIR-110, unlocking both standalone and combination solid tumor-targeting potential on the KIR-CAR platform. Verismo has indicated it will continue to broaden its pipeline to target a variety of solid tumors.