First-of-Its-Kind Pediatric Research and Funding Collaboration to Speed Development of Medications for Autoimmune Diseases

Seattle Children's Research Institute and Kineta Launch the Alliance for Children's Therapeutics

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Jun 11, 2014, 08:30 ET

SEATTLE, June 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Seattle Children's Research Institute and biotechnology company Kineta, Inc. today launched the Alliance for Children's Therapeutics (ACT), a first-of-its-kind pediatric research and funding collaboration designed to speed development of new medications for children and teens with lupus nephritis and other autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

ShK-186, an experimental drug compound derived from sea anemone venom that may improve treatment of autoimmune diseases like lupus nephritis. The Alliance for Children's Therapeutics creates a new funding model to speed research for its potential use by pediatric patients. (PRNewsFoto/Kineta) (PRNewsFoto/Kineta)

"Funding for pediatric research lags disproportionately behind research funding for adult diseases. Thirty percent of the U.S. population is under the age of 21, and yet only six percent of the entire National Institutes of Health's budget is devoted to pediatric medicine and care," said Jim Hendricks, PhD, president of Seattle Children's Research Institute. "This gap results in limited development of new therapies for children, who now often have no other choice than to use adult-only tested medications."

There are significant barriers in developing pediatric therapies and the lack of pediatric medication use information poses risks to children and teens. The shortage of appropriate formulations may deny access and expose them to medications that were not designed for their growing bodies. The challenge of recruiting sufficient numbers of pediatric patients for clinical research also delays the development of better therapies for pediatric diseases and conditions.

In 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved 27 new drugs; just seven new drugs were approved for pediatric use that same year. And of the 55,000 clinical trials conducted between 2005 and 2010, only nine percent were designed for children.

Translating Research into Better Medical Treatments for Children and Teens
Bringing together one of the U.S.'s top five pediatric research institutions with a leading biotechnology company, ACT aims to speed development of medicines for children and teens with autoimmune diseases.

Funding is needed to propel this pediatric research forward. ACT will rely on a unique and collaborative funding model that combines philanthropic gifts made to Seattle Children's Research Institute with equity investments made to Kineta.

"For too long pediatric studies have been the neglected component of clinical trials," said Charles Magness, PhD, Kineta president and chief executive officer. "Kineta has a drug candidate that has completed two adult clinical trials and is well positioned for a clinical trial which could make a real advancement for autoimmune diseases in children."

For their first collaborative project, researchers from Kineta and Seattle Children's Research Institute have already begun conducting pre-clinical laboratory tests to advance Kineta's lead compound, called ShK-186, as a potential treatment for lupus nephritis, an autoimmune disease that causes kidney inflammation. While medications available today for lupus nephritis reduce the disease's resulting inflammation, they also suppress the immune system, a side effect that is particularly concerning in children. Early pre-clinical research studies have indicated that ShK-186, which is derived from sea anemone venom, reduces inflammation while leaving the immune system intact.

"There is a huge need for medications designed for children and teens," said 18-year-old Seattle Children's Hospital patient Kathia Vega Flores, who was diagnosed with lupus when she was 11. "A diagnosis of lupus can present daily challenges not only for the person with the disease, but the whole family. I am so encouraged to see ongoing research and possible new treatments for lupus and other autoimmune diseases that will help so many children in need of better medications and care options."

In addition to the previously mentioned autoimmune diseases, which afflict close to a million children and teens in the U.S., ShK-186 has shown early indications of being a potential therapy for allergic asthma. It is estimated that nearly 10 million children in the U.S. are impacted by asthma.

Initial funding will help move ACT's lupus nephritis research into a clinical setting. It will also support work to adapt ShK-186 to become a viable treatment for other autoimmune diseases.

Additional Information

Alliance for Children's Therapeutics Website: www.childrenstherapeutics.org
Photos of Kathia Vega Flores, researchers, sea anemone, logos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/38997016@N03/sets/72157644683434277/

About Kineta, Inc.

Kineta, Inc. is a Seattle-based privately held biotechnology company specializing in clinical advancement of novel drug candidates derived from leading edge scientific research. Our world-class scientists are pioneers in developing life-changing classes of new drugs designed to be more effective and safer than current medicines. Kineta seeks to improve the lives of millions of people suffering from autoimmune and viral diseases and from severe pain. Our progressive business model focuses on targeting unmet medical needs and rapid achievement of important clinical milestones. For more information on Kineta, Inc. visit our website, www.Kinetabio.com

About Seattle Children's Research Institute

Located in downtown Seattle's biotech corridor, Seattle Children's Research Institute is pushing the boundaries of medical research to find cures for pediatric diseases and improve outcomes for children all over the world. Internationally recognized investigators and staff at the research institute are advancing new discoveries in cancer, genetics, immunology, pathology, infectious disease, injury prevention and bioethics, among others. As part of Seattle Children's Hospital, the research institute brings together leading minds in pediatric research to provide patients with the best care possible. Seattle Children's serves as the primary teaching, clinical and research site for the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, which consistently ranks as one of the best pediatric departments in the country. For more information, visit http://www.seattlechildrens.org/research.

NOTICE: This document contains certain forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements regarding Kineta's plans for clinical studies, anticipated drug effects in human subjects and financial performance. You are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties inherent in Kineta's business which could significantly affect expected results, including without limitation progress of drug development, intellectual property protection and enforcement, efficacy and demand for the products, clinical testing and regulatory approval, changes legislative, fiscal, and other regulatory measures, competition from other drug development companies, our ability to raise funds on acceptable terms, and our ability to recruit and retain scientists and key personnel. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and Kineta undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the issuance of this press release.

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