Lisata Therapeutics is pioneering new treatments for solid tumors

Lisata Therapeutics Inc is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development, and commercialization of innovative therapies for the treatment of advanced solid tumors and other major diseases.

The company's lead investigational product candidate, LSTA1, is designed to modify the tumor microenvironment by activating a novel uptake pathway that allows anti-cancer drugs to penetrate solid tumors more effectively. 

Lisata Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:LSTA) said on Thursday it expects a data-rich year ahead as it advances multiple trials of its lead asset, certepetide, a novel peptide-based therapy being tested in a range of solid tumors.

The New Jersey-based company said it remains focused on progressing certepetide through clinical and preclinical studies, with several important data readouts expected over the course of 2025 and into 2026, including results from the second cohort of its ASCEND trial in metastatic pancreatic cancer and preclinical work with Catalent’s antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platform.

"Lisata maintains momentum into 2025 despite a challenging market for small-cap healthcare companies," CEO David Mazzo said in a statement, highlighting the company’s strengthened financial position and upcoming engagements with global regulators.

The ASCEND trial, a randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2b study conducted in Australia and New Zealand, is evaluating certepetide alongside standard-of-care chemotherapy in first-line metastatic pancreatic cancer patients. Preliminary data from Cohort A showed a positive survival trend, including four complete responses. Cohort B data has been accepted for presentation at the ESMO GI Congress in July.

Lisata Therapeutics Inc earlier this week discussed the potential of certepetide in antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) applications through a new collaboration with Catalent.

The company told investors that it entered a research license agreement with Catalent to evaluate certepetide as a payload in SMARTag dual-payload ADCs. Under the agreement, Catalent will cover research and development expenses, while Lisata will offer consulting support and receive an upfront payment along with potential future milestone payments.

Lisata Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:LSTA) announced that it has entered into a research license agreement with Catalent to evaluate certepetide, its iRGD cyclic peptide candidate, using Catalent’s SMARTag antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platform.

The research will focus on preclinical testing for diseases such as advanced solid tumors.

Lisata Therapeutics President and CEO Dave Mazzo joined Steve Darling from Proactive to share news the company has announced a global collaboration and license agreement with Kuva Labs, a subsidiary of Mi2 Holdings, to enhance cancer imaging technologies.

Under the agreement, Kuva Labs will integrate Lisata's iRGD cyclic peptide product candidate, certepetide, with its NanoMark platform to develop advanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging agents. This combination aims to enable safe, non-invasive, and precise detection of solid tumor cancers.

Kuva will oversee all research, development, and commercialization costs for NanoMark, while Lisata will supply certepetide. The partnership includes an upfront license fee, substantial milestone payments, and royalty agreements, offering significant value creation for both companies.