Data identify nuclear PD-L1 as a previously unaddressed driver of immunotherapy resistance and metastatic progression
SYDNEY, Jan. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Kazia Therapeutics (NASDAQ:KZIA), an oncology-focused pharmaceutical company developing novel therapies for difficult-to-treat cancers, today announced compelling preclinical and translational data supporting the development of NDL2, a potentially first-in-class protein degrader that is designed to selectively eliminate nuclear PD-L1, a previously unrecognized intracellular driver of immunotherapy resistance and metastatic progression that is not addressed by currently approved PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies. Across multiple preclinical models and patient-derived samples, NDL2 demonstrated reversal of immune exhaustion, suppression of metastatic biology, and enhanced anti-tumor activity, including in combination with anti-PD-1 therapy. By applying targeted protein degradation to one of the most clinically validated targets in oncology (PD-L1), Kazia aims to address a fundamental limitation of current immunotherapies while advancing a program aligned with growing strategic interest in protein degraders.
The data were generated by Professor Sudha Rao and her team at QIMR Berghofer and collectively support nuclear PD-L1 as a mechanistically distinct and therapeutically actionable driver of immune evasion, disease progression, and metastasis.