– UK, Edinburgh – Kynos Therapeutics Ltd today announced to emerge from stealth mode with £9 million to finance its lead KMO inhibitor program through Phase 1 clinical trials and to progress its innovative pipeline of first-in-class KMOi across key indications in inflammation, immunity, and metabolism.
Concurrent with the financing, Dr. Elizabeth Roper, Partner at Epidarex Capital, and Dr. Tassos Konstantinou, Investment Manager, Life Sciences at IP Group plc, have joined the board of directors.
Dr. Elizabeth Roper said: “Kynos has the first-in-class set of KMO inhibitors that we believe have potential in multiple therapeutic areas. We look forward to working closely with the team and the syndicate to progress these assets into the clinic and to realise the potential of Kynos’s world-class science.”
The £6.5m initial venture financing round was led by Epidarex Capital, joined by IP Group and Scottish Enterprise. Kynos has also been awarded £2.5m through an Innovate UK grant to fund a first-time human Phase 1 clinical trial of its lead KMOi, KNS366. Kynos has a completed IND-enabling package and is preparing to start a single ascending dose study with biomarker analysis.
KMO plays a major role in the control of inflammation and metabolism, contributing to the regulation of the immune system. It is a mitochondrial enzyme that converts kynurenine into biologically active 3HK that damages cells. Blocking KMO reduces 3HK, protecting against tissue damage.
Professor Damian Mole, CEO of Kynos Therapeutics, said: “Our goal is to improve health and make a positive impact for patients, by developing our programme in the therapeutic area of inflammation and immunometabolism. We are very excited by the potential of our first-in-class KMO inhibitors and we are ready to enter the clinic with our lead asset.
“Our programmes are based on extensive industry collaborative research with a robust science base supported by multiple high impact publications. There are no approved or marketed medicines for our gateway indication, for which there is a significant unmet need.”
About Kynos Therapeutics
Kynos Therapeutics is developing an innovative portfolio of first-in-class medicines where there is an unmet medical need for new therapies. It is a spin-out from the University of Edinburgh commercializing a decade of drug discovery research on kynurenine 3-monooxygenase, a pivotal enzyme in the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism. Its innovative pipeline of first-in-class KMO inhibitors across key indications in inflammation, immunity, and metabolism, was originally co-developed through a collaboration between GSK and the University of Edinburgh and is now exclusively licensed to Kynos.
Kynos is a spin-out from the University of Edinburgh, based on over a decade of research into KMO biology and its inhibitors. Its technology and KMOis were co-developed during a multi-year collaborative program between the UoE founders and GSK. The collaboration concluded in 2019 and data packages and all rights and intellectual property were transferred to the UoE. GSK is eligible for royalty should medicine be registered.
Based in Edinburgh, UK, the company is financed by equity investment led by Epidarex Capital joined by IP Group plc and Scottish Enterprise, as well as a grant from Innovate UK.
For more information: https://www.kynostx.com/
About IP Group plc
IP Group develops world-changing science and technology businesses across life sciences, technology and cleantech. The Group has a strong track record of success, having been the founder investor in several high-profile companies including Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc, and has one of the most exciting portfolios of high-growth businesses in Europe. The Group also owns Parkwalk, the UK’s largest growth EIS fund manager which backs world-changing technologies emerging from the UK’s leading universities and research institutions. IP Group is listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange under the code IPO.
For more information: https://www.ipgroupplc.com/
About Epidarex Capital
Epidarex Capital is a transatlantic venture capital firm with a track record of building exceptional life science companies in emerging hubs in the US and UK. Epidarex’ experienced team of early-stage investors partner with entrepreneurs and leading research institutions to transform world-class science into highly innovative products addressing major unmet needs in the global healthcare market.
For more information: https://epidarex.com/
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