Karus Therapeutics

About Karus Therapeutics

Karus Therapeutics Limited was a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that concentrated on developing orally active, small-molecule drugs for cancer and inflammatory diseases. Founded in 2005 as a spin-out from the University of Southampton in the UK, the company was based in Didcot and Abingdon. The firm was co-founded by scientists including Dr. Ganesan from the University of Southampton's Chemistry department and Stephen Shuttleworth, who served as Chief Scientific Officer. Simon Kerry, a life-science entrepreneur with extensive experience in the biotechnology sector, later led the company as CEO. The company ceased operations, with a bankruptcy liquidation notice issued on December 18, 2023.

The company's business model was centered on the research and development of precision medicines. Karus Therapeutics' revenue strategy relied on venture capital funding and future collaborations with larger pharmaceutical companies to navigate the costly phases of clinical trials. In September 2012, the company secured $7.6 million in a Series B funding round. This round was led by SV Health Investors, New Leaf Venture Partners, and International Biotechnology Trust, with participation from existing investors like IP Group.

Karus Therapeutics' product pipeline featured orally administered small molecule inhibitors. A key candidate was KA2237, a dual inhibitor of PI3K-p110β/δ, designed to treat both solid and hematological tumors by targeting pathways involved in cancer cell growth and regulating immune response. This drug entered a Phase I clinical trial in 2016 for patients with relapsed, treatment-resistant B-cell lymphoma. Another significant product was KA2507, a selective HDAC6 inhibitor. This molecule was developed to have both direct anti-tumor effects and to modulate the anti-tumor immune response. In 2017, KA2507 entered a Phase I clinical trial for patients with specific solid tumors. The company was notably the first to create synthetic analogues of depsipeptides, a class of potent HDAC inhibitors, aiming to produce drugs with higher potency and better safety profiles than their naturally occurring predecessors.