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(RTTNews) - Kairos Pharma Ltd. (KAPA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on cancer therapeutics, announced the signing of a term sheet to acquire two clinical oncology assets from privately held Celyn Therapeutics, Inc.

The proposed acquisition includes CL-273, a pre-IND, reversible, wild-type-sparing pan-EGFR inhibitor, and CL-741, a Phase 1-ready, orally available c-MET kinase inhibitor. Both assets are designed to address non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), one of the most common and difficult-to-treat cancers worldwide.

Kinase inhibitors for cancer treatment were valued at $60.7 billion in 2025, with EGFR inhibitors representing 32.5% of the market. CL-273 targets the EGFR-mutated lung cancer segment, estimated at $16.2 billion in 2026, with EGFR mutations present in 10-15% of NSCLC cases in Western populations and up to 50% in Asian populations (CoherentMI).

EGFR mutations and MET amplification are key drivers of drug resistance in NSCLC. By combining a pan-EGFR inhibitor with a c-MET inhibitor, Kairos aims to develop therapies that can overcome resistance, deepen tumor responses, and extend progression-free survival.

Similar dual-target strategies are being explored in AstraZeneca's SAVANNAH trial, which evaluated EGFR and MET inhibition in NSCLC underscoring the rationale for Kairos's approach.

Kairos CEO John Yu, M.D., stated that the acquisition, if completed, would significantly expand the company's pipeline and leverage its clinical infrastructure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to rapidly advance Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies.

Celyn Therapeutics, backed by OrbiMed and Torrey Pines Investment, developed CL-273 using an AI-driven drug discovery platform. The company noted that the collaboration with Kairos combines operational expertise with innovative science to accelerate development for patients with EGFR-mutant and c-MET-driven lung cancers.

The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions. Kairos emphasized that the deal, if finalized, would position it to pursue a differentiated dual-target strategy in a multi-billion-dollar lung cancer market.

KAPA has traded between $0.40 and $2.11 over the past year. The stock closed Thursday's session at $0.55, down 12.15%. In overnight trading Friday, the stock is up 16.69% at $0.64.

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