Kereos

About Kereos

Kereos, Inc. operated as a biopharmaceutical company, founded in 1999 by Gregory M. Lanza and Samuel Wickline, and was headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. The company focused on developing molecular imaging agents and targeted therapeutics for the detection and treatment of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The foundation of the company was based on the work of its founders at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, which was supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Kereos ultimately ceased operations, with its status listed as out of business as of March 2023.

The company's business model revolved around the development and commercialization of its proprietary nanoparticle drug delivery technology. This technology was designed to enable the targeted delivery of a wide array of therapeutic compounds, including existing drugs and new drug candidates. Kereos aimed to form strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical and imaging companies to advance the development of its products. It successfully raised a total of $31.6M in funding over several rounds from institutional investors, including Lux Capital, RiverVest Venture Partners, and Genentech.

Kereos developed a pipeline of product candidates utilizing its nanodroplet technology, which consisted of a perfluorocarbon core surrounded by a lipid monolayer. One of its lead candidates, KER-1001, incorporated the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel into a targeted nanodroplet to increase efficacy and reduce side effects. Another product, KI-0001, was a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agent designed for early tumor detection. The company also worked on KI-100X, a targeted chemotherapeutic for solid tumors, and other agents aimed at cardiovascular disease detection and treatment.