Drug notes:
Also Clin2 autoimmune hepatitis, Clin2 dermatomyositis, polymyositis; KZR-261 Clin1 solid tumors; 2 undisclosed programs RD oncology
About:
Kezar Life Sciences is developing protein-targeting small molecule therapeutics to treat autoimmune diseases. Proteins are essential for cells to function and unsurprisingly, their dysfunction is causal to many diseases. Using their deep scientific expertise, Kezar is developing small molecule approaches for targeting select proteins to regulate cellular function. For example, Kezar is designing selective immunoproteasome inhibitors to treat a range of autoimmune diseases by immune modulation, rather than direct immunosuppression. Kezar’s lead candidate, KZR-616, is designed to modulate many elements of the immune system and hence offers a “pipeline in a drug” approach with the potential to be used for a range of autoimmune conditions.