Laekna

About Laekna

Laekna is a clinical-stage biotechnology company established in December 2016 with operations in China and the United States, focusing on developing therapies for cancer, metabolic diseases, and liver fibrosis. The company was founded by Dr. Chris Lu, who serves as Chairman and CEO. Dr. Lu possesses over two decades of experience in drug discovery and development, having previously held an executive director role at Novartis, where he helped establish the China Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (CNIBR). His background also includes positions at Wyeth Research (now Pfizer) and a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University. The company name, 'Laekna', is derived from an Old Norse word meaning 'to cure, to heal', reflecting its core mission.

Laekna employs a dual-pronged strategy for pipeline development, which involves in-licensing promising clinical-stage drug candidates and cultivating its own internal discovery platform. This approach has led to partnerships, including acquiring global licenses for four candidates from Novartis. The company generates revenue through government grants and aims for future income from drug commercialization; it does not yet have products on the market. A significant financial milestone was its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on June 29, 2023, under the stock code 2105.HK, which was intended to fund clinical development, manufacturing capabilities, and business expansion.

The company's oncology pipeline is led by Afuresertib (LAE002), a potent AKT inhibitor targeting all three isoforms of the protein. It is one of only two AKT inhibitors globally that is in or has completed pivotal-stage clinical development for cancer treatment. Laekna is advancing Afuresertib in multiple late-stage trials, including a Phase III study in combination with fulvestrant for HR+/HER2- breast cancer and another Phase III trial combining it with LAE001 for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Another key oncology asset is LAE001, a dual inhibitor of CYP17A1/CYP11B2, in-licensed from Novartis, which is being investigated for prostate cancer.

In the metabolic disease space, Laekna is developing LAE102, a monoclonal antibody targeting the ActRIIA receptor, for obesity. Pre-clinical studies suggest LAE102 can increase lean muscle mass while decreasing fat mass, positioning it as a candidate for quality weight control, potentially in combination with GLP-1 agonists. The company received IND approvals from the FDA and China's CDE for LAE102 in 2024 and subsequently entered a clinical collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company to accelerate its global development for obesity. Laekna's internal discovery engine continues to produce new candidates, including LAE103 and LAE123, which also target the ActRII pathway.