Verismo Highlights KIR-CAR's Low-Toxicity Tumor Response

Laura Johnson, CSO of Verismo Therapeutics, at the AACR 2026 on April 21 / Photo by Reporter Sun-kyung Kim.

A next-generation T-cell therapy has emerged that addresses two of the major limitations of conventional CAR-T treatments—toxicity and durability—at the same time.

Verismo Therapeutics, a subsidiary of HLB, announced on April 21 at the AACR 2026 in San Diego that it had unveiled clinical data demonstrating the potential of its next-generation T-cell therapy platform, KIR-CAR, in both solid tumors and hematologic malignancies.

Hit News met with Laura Johnson, Chief Scientific Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Verismo Therapeutics, who has led the development and clinical advancement of KIR-CAR, to discuss the platform’s technological differentiation, clinical performance, and commercialization strategy.

Dr. Johnson is a globally recognized expert in molecular and cellular immunology with over 20 years of experience. She earned her Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Immunology from the University of British Columbia and completed her postdoctoral training at the National Cancer Institute under Steven Rosenberg, widely regarded as a pioneer of modern cancer immunotherapy. She later served as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where she led CAR-T research targeting difficult-to-treat cancers such as glioblastoma. As a founding member of Verismo, she now oversees the clinical development and operations of the company’s pipeline.

At AACR 2026, Verismo drew significant attention by presenting interim Phase 1 data for SynKIR-110, targeting solid tumors, along with preclinical and early clinical data for SynKIR-310, targeting hematologic cancers.

SynKIR-110 demonstrated tumor reduction at low doses across solid tumors—including mesothelioma, ovarian cancer, and cholangiocarcinoma—while showing a favorable safety profile with minimal incidence of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). SynKIR-310 likewise showed superior antitumor activity and a lower toxicity profile compared with conventional single-chain CAR-T therapies, reinforcing its potential as a next-generation treatment.

The following is the full Q&A with Dr. Johnson.