Korsana Biosciences

The company is led by President and CEO Jonathan Violin, Ph.D., a venture partner at Fairmount with extensive experience as the founding CEO for several biotechs, including Viridian Therapeutics, Dianthus Therapeutics, and Quellis Biosciences. Dr. Violin earned a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of California, San Diego, and an MBA from Duke University. Korsana was launched as the seventh company based on assets discovered by Paragon Therapeutics, a biotechnology firm that designs and develops complex biologics.

Korsana's primary business is the discovery and development of therapeutics. Its lead program, KRSA-028, is a next-generation shuttled monoclonal antibody designed for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. This investigational antibody targets amyloid beta, a protein that forms plaques in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. KRSA-028 utilizes Korsana's proprietary Therapeutic Targeting (THETA™) platform, a novel shuttle system designed to cross the blood-brain barrier. This platform, which incorporates clinically validated transferrin receptor (TfR1) and Fc engineering, aims to deliver significantly higher concentrations of the drug into the brain. The goal is to improve amyloid plaque clearance while reducing side effects like amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) and offering a more convenient subcutaneous administration route instead of intravenous infusions.

Korsana operates in the biopharmaceutical market, specifically within the neurodegenerative disease sector. Its business model is centered on advancing its pipeline of THETA™-enabled therapies through clinical trials. The company's funding is expected to support operations into 2028, covering key clinical milestones. These include safety data from healthy volunteers expected in mid-2027 and initial proof-of-concept data on amyloid plaque clearance in Alzheimer's patients by the end of 2027.