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Kezar co-founder Christopher Kirk, Ph.D. began his work on the unique function of the immunoproteasome at Proteolix in 2005, while working on the compound that would become the successful multiple myeloma drug KYPROLIS™ (carfilzomib). As VP of Research at Onyx Pharmaceuticals, which acquired Proteolix in 2009, Christopher led the efforts to develop the first selective inhibitors of the immunoproteasome and designed multiple studies demonstrating their profound immunomodulatory effects. In parallel with this work, Christopher and Kezar co-founder Jack Taunton, Ph.D. collaborated on several research projects involving protein secretion. This collaboration inspired a belief in the strong synergies between protein degradation and protein secretion, two fertile areas for drug discovery with platform potential. In 2014, Christopher and Kezar co-founder John Fowler began developing the business plan for Kezar, acting on a longstanding desire to work together and build a world-class company. In 2015, John and Christopher raised $23M and negotiated a worldwide, exclusive license agreement with Amgen for the Onyx immunoproteasome inhibitor patent estate. Now underway, John and Christopher are excited to leverage their complementary skill sets to build Kezar into a leader in small molecule drug development.
Tango Therapeutics is a biotechnology company discovering and developing novel medicines targeting cancer vulnerabilities to deliver transformational new therapies for patients. Tango was launched in 2017 with a $55 million Series A investment from Third Rock Ventures. The company has established a robust product engine that leverages advances in DNA sequencing and CRISPR-based target discovery to generate breakthrough medicines that have the potential to provide deeper, more sustained benefit than today`s targeted therapies, and extend the benefit of available immuno-oncology agents. Tango Therapeutics is focused on three areas of drug development, each in well-defined patient populations currently lacking effective treatment options, and each with hallmarks of cancer that have not been targeted yet. These include: loss of tumor suppressor gene function; multiple oncogenic drivers; and immune evasion. What fuels each of Tango`s programs is an increasingly sophisticated ability to utilize synthetic lethality - the interaction between two genes that causes cell death when both are inactivated. In cancer cells, one of these genes is inactivated by mutation; the other will be inactivated by a drug. This approach leaves normal cells largely unaffected, with the potential to greatly enhance anti-tumor efficacy and reduce associated toxicity. Tango`s success will be driven by its depth of understanding of the genetic subtypes of cancer, and corresponding insights into novel drug targets and combinations uniquely relevant to each subtype. By shaping discovery efforts in this way, Tango has the potential to reach the clinic quickly, and with a clear plan for identifying the patients most likely to benefit from each new treatment, an approach that could increase both speed and probability of success in translating novel target discoveries into transformational new medicines for patients.
Tri-Source Pharma is a pharmaceutical manufacturer/distributor operating in both the human and animal health care industries.
Certus International Inc is a Bedford, NH-based company in the Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotech sector.
ZIOPHARM Oncology is a New York, NY-based company in the Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotech sector.