Kojin Therapeutics Company Profile

Background

Kojin Therapeutics, founded in 2020, was a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing targeted therapeutics based on cell state and ferroptosis biology. The company's mission was to harness groundbreaking discoveries in these fields to create first-in-class treatments for patients with cancer, cardiovascular, immunologic, and degenerative diseases. By focusing on the modulation of ferroptosis—a form of iron-dependent cell death—Kojin aimed to address diseases with high unmet medical needs.

Key Strategic Focus

Kojin's strategic focus centered on leveraging its proprietary drug discovery platform to develop small-molecule therapeutics that modulate ferroptosis. The company integrated computational chemistry, structural biology, chemical biology, target-informed screening, and mechanism-driven pharmacology to identify and develop novel treatments. Initial applications targeted solid tumors with high ferroptosis sensitivity, with plans to expand into other disease areas where ferroptosis plays a critical role.

Financials and Funding

In June 2021, Kojin Therapeutics secured a $60 million Series A funding round led by Polaris Partners, Newpath Partners, and Cathay Health. Additional investors included Leaps by Bayer, AbbVie Inc., Eventide Asset Management, Alexandria, and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Binney Street Capital. The capital was intended to accelerate Kojin's drug discovery platform and advance its pipeline of therapeutics, with an initial focus on oncology.

Pipeline Development

Kojin pursued several validated ferroptosis targets for a spectrum of oncology indications. The lead program focused on inhibiting glutamate-cysteine-ligase (GCL), with demonstrated preclinical proof of concept. Multiple chemotypes were developed to inhibit the GCL enzyme, targeting solid tumors with high ferroptosis sensitivity. Additional programs aimed at inhibiting other targets in the ferroptosis pathway were in various stages of drug discovery, with plans to develop ferroptosis modulators—both inducers and inhibitors—for multiple diseases over the following years.

Technological Platform and Innovation

Kojin's drug discovery platform was distinguished by its integration of several advanced scientific methodologies:

• Computational Chemistry and Structural Biology: Utilized to model and predict molecular interactions, facilitating the design of effective small-molecule therapeutics.

• Chemical Biology and Target-Informed Screening: Employed to identify and validate targets within the ferroptosis pathway, ensuring specificity and efficacy.

• Mechanism-Driven Pharmacology: Focused on understanding the underlying mechanisms of ferroptosis to develop drugs that can precisely modulate this form of cell death.

This comprehensive approach enabled Kojin to develop therapies that selectively modulate ferroptosis, offering potential treatments for diseases resistant to existing therapies.

Leadership Team

Kojin's leadership team comprised experienced professionals with diverse backgrounds in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals:

• Harvey J. Berger, M.D.: Appointed as Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer in January 2024. Dr. Berger brought over 35 years of experience, including founding ARIAD Pharmaceuticals and leading it to become a fully integrated global oncology company.

• Horst Hemmerle, Ph.D.: Joined as Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer in September 2023. Dr. Hemmerle had over 30 years of experience in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery, previously serving as Executive Director of Global Discovery Chemistry at Novartis Institutes of Biomedical Research.

• Hagop Youssoufian, M.D.: Appointed as Chief Medical Advisor in July 2024. Dr. Youssoufian was a medical oncologist and geneticist with more than 25 years of experience in cancer drug development, having contributed to over 100 IND filings and participated in over 500 clinical trials.

• Stuart Schreiber, Ph.D.: Co-founder and Director, Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University, and a founding core institute member emeritus of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

• Eric de La Fortelle, Ph.D.: Director and Managing Partner with Cathay Health, leading healthcare investing with extensive experience in venture capital and biotechnology.

• David Dalgarno, D.Phil.: Senior Vice President, Digital & Data Science and Technology, with over 30 years of R&D experience in oncology, specializing in integrating biophysics, structural biology, computational chemistry, and informatics.

• Narayana Narasimhan, Ph.D.: Senior Vice President, Preclinical Development, bringing over 35 years of experience in drug discovery, development, and regulatory affairs, with expertise in drug metabolism and clinical pharmacology.

• Jennifer O’Neil, Ph.D.: Senior Vice President, Discovery Biology, with broad expertise in immunology, cancer biology, pharmacology, drug discovery, translational sciences, and product development.

• Wei-Sheng Huang, Ph.D.: Senior Vice President, Drug Discovery, with over 20 years of R&D experience, including leadership roles in advancing drug pipelines and discovery of development candidate compounds.

• Philip DeSouza, M.D.: Director and venture partner with Newpath Partners, leading scientific and technical due diligence and market-landscape analysis.