Kairos Pharma at LD Micro Main Event: antibody bets on resistance

On 20 October 2026, biotech company Kairos Pharma (KAPA) unveiled its cancer drug-resistance strategy at the LD Micro 20th Annual Main Event Conference. The company highlighted promising early clinical data for its antibody ENV-105, which targets CD105, a protein associated with treatment resistance in various cancers. ENV-105 combined with apalutamide demonstrated a potential 7-month progression-free survival in metastatic prostate cancer, compared to 2 months with apalutamide alone.

Lung cancer studies showed no Grade 3 or higher toxicities in 11 patients treated with ENV-105 plus apalutamide. Kairos is relying on grants and donor support to fund operations for at least three quarters, with enough cash to last the duration. Chairman and CEO John Yu emphasized the company's focus on overcoming both cancer drug resistance and immune suppression.

The company's platform could potentially support partnerships with large drugmakers. Kairos is currently running three clinical programs: a Phase II randomized trial in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, a Phase I trial in non-small cell lung cancer, and KROS-101, a small molecule GITR ligand inhibitor in development for immune therapy resistance.

The company's low toxicity profile and ability to target cancer cells and fibroblasts in the tumor environment make ENV-105 a promising candidate for future therapies.