InteKrin

About InteKrin

InteKrin Therapeutics, Inc. operated as a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical firm, strategically focused on developing treatments for metabolic disorders, diabetes, and obesity. The company was established in 2005 by Dennis M. Lanfear, a former Amgen Vice President, and Dr. Christos Mantzoros, a distinguished endocrinologist and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. Lanfear's extensive background in biopharmaceutical leadership, including process development and market development at Amgen, combined with Dr. Mantzoros's deep expertise in endocrinology, provided a strong foundation for the company's scientific and business strategy.

The company's business model centered on in-licensing promising clinical-stage therapeutic candidates to address significant unmet medical needs. Its lead product was INT131, a selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) modulator, designed for the treatment of insulin resistance in Type 2 diabetes. This oral therapy was engineered to improve blood glucose levels by enhancing the body's response to insulin while aiming to minimize the side effects, such as weight gain and edema, associated with existing full PPARγ agonists. InteKrin licensed INT131 from Amgen, where it was designated as AMG131, and advanced it through clinical development, including a Phase III trial.

InteKrin successfully raised a total of $65.2 million over four funding rounds, with its first institutional financing round of $23 million closing in January 2007. The funding was supported by a syndicate of institutional investors, including Sofinnova Investments, Skyline Ventures, Vivo Capital, and OrbiMed Advisors. A significant milestone in the company's history was its acquisition by Coherus Biosciences in February 2014. The deal, valued at approximately $5 million, consisted of stock, the assumption of debt, and contingent considerations. The acquisition was a strategic move for Coherus to complement its own pipeline and gain access to new investors. Following the acquisition, InteKrin operated as a subsidiary of Coherus Biosciences.