R1 Therapeutics

R1 Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that launched in March 2026, focusing on developing first-in-class treatments for kidney disease. The company was co-founded by President and CEO Krishna Polu, M.D., a nephrologist with over 20 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, and Chief Operating Officer L. Mary Smith, Ph.D., a biotech veteran formerly of SpringWorks Therapeutics. Polu has a track record that includes the formation of Mineralys Therapeutics and Renalys Pharma.

The company's launch was supported by an oversubscribed $77.5 million Series A financing. The funding was co-led by Abingworth, DaVita Venture Group, and F-Prime, with participation from Curie.Bio, SymBiosis, and U.S. Renal Care. This capital is intended to fund the global development of its lead program, including a Phase 2b clinical trial and planning for Phase 3.

R1 Therapeutics' business model centers on the development and commercialization of its lead drug candidate, AP306. The company has secured exclusive global rights to develop and commercialize AP306 outside of Greater China through a licensing agreement with Shanghai-based Alebund Pharmaceuticals. The agreement includes potential milestone payments and tiered royalties on net sales for Alebund. R1 Therapeutics' strategic investors include major global kidney care providers like DaVita and U.S. Renal Care, positioning the company within a large, established market.

The company's primary product is AP306, a therapy for hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis. Hyperphosphatemia, characterized by elevated phosphate levels, affects millions of dialysis patients worldwide and can lead to severe bone and cardiovascular complications. AP306 is a first-in-class pan-phosphate active transport inhibitor. Unlike existing treatments that act as phosphate binders with high pill burdens and gastrointestinal side effects, AP306 blocks the active transport of phosphate in the gut through three key transporters. This novel mechanism has the potential to offer a more effective treatment with a lower pill burden. The drug, originally discovered by Chugai Pharmaceutical, has already shown a significant reduction in serum phosphate levels with good tolerability in a Phase 2a study. R1 Therapeutics is advancing AP306 into a global Phase 2b trial.

Keywords: R1 Therapeutics, kidney disease, biopharmaceutical, Krishna Polu, AP306, hyperphosphatemia, chronic kidney disease, dialysis, pan-phosphate transporter inhibitor, Series A financing, Alebund Pharmaceuticals, DaVita, F-Prime, Abingworth, clinical-stage, nephrology, phosphate binders, active phosphate transport, renal therapies, AP306, EOS789