Kojin Therapeutics

Our extraordinary team of #ferroptosis pioneers took on the challenge of translating complex human biology to develop novel small-molecule ferroptosis inducers. Kudos to each member of our team. ??

Kojin Therapeutics – launched in mid-2021 – will be restructuring and winding down its operations in the coming months. Since last year, with a new leadership team in place, we have made striking progress in developing first-in-class, small-molecule, ferroptosis inducers for potential use in patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases. However, obtaining sufficient funding to propel these programs forward into IND-enabling studies and clinical trials has proven difficult to achieve. Reflecting on our corporate history, we believe that this was driven by four inter-related challenges: (1) lack of current investor interest in financing pre-clinical therapeutic companies, especially based on novel biology and for cancer, (2) lack of meaningful drug-discovery expertise or progress during the company’s first 2.5 years, (3) lack of support or engagement by four of our five largest initial investors (generally for fund-specific reasons), and (4) lack of clinical proof of concept anticipated for at least another two years. We are very proud of what we have accomplished scientifically in the past year and hope that ferroptosis-specific medicines will reach patients in need of better treatment options soon. We expect that many of our ferroptosis pioneers will be looking for new positions, and if you are hiring, please reach out to our CEO Harvey Berger or other leadership team members to learn more. #ferroptosis #celldeath #cellstate #lipidmetabolism #redox #metabolomics #lipidomics #cancer #immunology #drugdiscovery #smallmolecules #molecularbiology #chemicalbiology #medicinalchemistry #pharmacology #biochemistry #massspec #biopharma #BostonSeaport

On?International Women and Girls in Science Day, we celebrate the incredible contributions of women in STEM, including our Kojin Therapeutics employees, and recognize the importance of breaking barriers for future generations. Encouraging young girls to pursue science isn’t just about equality – it’s about unlocking innovation and solving global challenges with diverse perspectives. Let’s support the next generation of female scientists, physicians, engineers, and investigators. Pictured L to R: Rachelle Victorio, Jennifer O'Neil, Sneha Basak, PhD, Ayesha M. Patel, PhD, Priya Chatterji, Bonne Thompson, Rebecca Timson, Yao Liu, and Megha Thakur, PhD #womeninscience #STEM

We are pleased to announce the promotions of seven of our talented scientists, who exemplify the qualities of teamwork, collaboration, scientific rigor, and integrity that we collectively value. We are proud to support these #ferroptosis pioneers and leaders: Sneha Basak, PhD, Laura Furst, Priya Chatterji, Ayesha M. Patel, PhD, Rebecca Timson, Mathias Wawer, and gang xing (left to right in photo).? ? Kojin Therapeutics #drugdiscovery #lipidomics #pharmacology #molecularbiology #computationalbiology #chemicalbiology #biotech

As we recognize World Cancer Day 2025, we are dedicated to translating the intricacies of #ferroptosis to novel MoA small-molecule medicines for patients with difficult-to-treat #cancers. This is a global collaborative effort that is built on the unique skill sets and insights offered by many in the field. Kojin Therapeutics #lipidmetabolism #redox #WorldCancerDay2025

Convergence of human genetics, ion-channel pharmacology, neurobiology, and small-molecule drug design — the first new class of non-opiate pain medicines in over 2 decades. Understanding human #biology at the molecular level led to the first sub-selective, NaV1.8 Na-channel inhibitor. Kudos to our #Boston Seaport neighbor.

In his #Scrip commentary, our CEO, Harvey Berger, predicts that 2025 will be the year of biology in biopharma. Ferroptosis is a perfect example of complex and previously unappreciated human biology — a unique form of programmed cell death characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation in the cell membrane and intra-cellular glutathione depletion. Kojin Therapeutics is translating its deep understanding of ferroptosis, lipid metabolism, and redox biology into new medicines. Innovation comes from newly deciphered biology. #cancer #immunology #biology #neurodegeneration #ferroptosis #lipidmetabolism #redox #smallmolecules #drugdiscovery

Our company is built on the groundbreaking discoveries of Brent Stockwell, Marcus Conrad, and Scott Dixon, along with subsequent discoveries by Stuart Schreiber. The field of #ferroptosis biology is being translated into new treatment options by our team of drug hunters. #redox #lipidmetabolism #cancer #immunology #inflammation

What does 2025 hold for biopharma — asked of Industry leaders? Our CEO Harvey Berger responded with clarity: “I see 2025 as the year of human biology. To develop new medicines that can transform the lives of patients, we need to have new avenues to disease intervention and prevention.” Our team at Kojin Therapeutics is applying this mantra to translating #ferroptosis and #lipid metabolism to new therapies for patients with cancer and immune and inflammatory diseases.

Our chief executive, Harvey Berger, will be participating in the annual Longwood Healthcare Leaders San Francisco CEO forum at the?Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco, January 11-12, 2025 and moderating a distinguished panel, “Platform to Pipeline,” with CEO panelists Keith Gottesdiener, Larry Hamann, Sekar (Sek) Kathiresan, and Daphne Koller. Will 2025 be the year of #biology in biotech? Come join the panel on Sunday morning at 9:15 am PT just prior to the JPM2025 healthcare conference. More info: https://lnkd.in/esNkzCWY #ferroptosis #redoxbiology #immunology #cancer #atherosclerosis #AI #machinelearning #geneediting #biopharma #drugdiscovery #longwoodhealthcareleaders, #SanFranciscoCEO | Prime Medicine, Inc. | Interdict Bio | Verve Therapeutics | insitro | Kojin Therapeutics | Longwood Healthcare Leaders | Longwood Fund