Kainova Therapeutics has started enrolling patients in Europe for an important early-stage clinical trial called the DOMISOL study. This trial is testing a new experimental drug called DT 7012, designed to treat certain types of advanced cancers. The drug works by targeting and reducing a type of immune cell in tumors that can prevent the body’s immune system from fighting cancer effectively. The DOMISOL trial is now open at leading cancer centers in France, including Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Institut Gustave Roussy in Paris, and Institut Bergonié in Bordeaux. Patients in Australia have already started enrolling in the study, which began in October 2025.
The trial is led by medical experts including Dr. Lauriane Eberst, Professor Antoine Italiano, and Dr. Maxime Brunet. Professor Italiano, who heads Precision Medicine at Institut Gustave Roussy, shared, ‘This study combines expert medical knowledge with advanced research tools. It provides a valuable opportunity to explore whether reducing these specific immune cells in tumors can lead to real benefits for patients with advanced solid tumors. DT 7012 is a new approach that targets CCR8, a protein involved in the tumor’s environment, offering a precise way to reshape how the immune system responds to cancer.’
Dr. Jean Marie Cuillerot, Chief Medical Officer at Kainova Therapeutics, explained, ‘Enrolling the first patient in Europe is a major step forward for our leading drug candidate, DT 7012. The DOMISOL study aims to gather detailed information about how the drug works, both when used alone and when combined with another cancer treatment called pembrolizumab. The study will also include tissue sample analysis from tumors to directly measure the effect of DT 7012 in reducing these immune cells inside the tumor. This information will help determine the best dose for future studies.’
The trial is designed in multiple phases: Phase 1 will test increasing doses of DT 7012 alone to find the safest and most effective dose. Phase 1b will test DT 7012 combined with pembrolizumab, another cancer drug, to assess safety and determine the best dose for the combination. Phase 2 will focus on specific types of tumors to evaluate how well the treatment works. The main goals are to find the highest safe dose of the drug and to understand any side effects, especially when combined with pembrolizumab.
Sean A. MacDonald, CEO of Kainova Therapeutics, said, ‘DT 7012 is our most important drug candidate and represents our dedication to developing innovative therapies that target GPCR proteins, which play a role in cancer and inflammatory diseases. The year 2026 is expected to be a critical year for our company, with several important milestones ahead. We are excited about expanding the DOMISOL trial into Europe and look forward to sharing important results from the study in the coming months.’