The mission at KAHR Medical is to develop novel fusion protein pharmaceuticals for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. Founded in late 2005, and based in Israel, this young biotech company’s drug pipeline is built upon the concept of "trans signal converter proteins" (TSCPs) – a unique class of multi-functional therapeutic agents that are capable of converting signals sent from one cell to another. TSCPs are fusion proteins with two functional ends that achieve higher efficacy through multi-functionality. This new class of drugs promises to significantly extend the repertoire of protein pharmaceuticals available for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory processes, and thereby have the potential to dramatically enhance the range of therapeutic options for targeted diseases.
KAHR Medical is managed by its CEO, Dr. Noam Shani. Before joining KAHR Medical, Dr. Shani was VP-R&D at Medgenics (AIM: MEDG) and Compugen (Nasdaq-"CGEN").
Sector and Field of Activity
KAHR focuses on the development of products for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune disease (the class of diseases in which the immune system attacks its own body).
Market
Cancer and Autoimmune diseases represent the second and third largest therapeutic drug markets worldwide with combined yearly sales of over $100 billion in 2008. Both the cancer and autoimmune drug markets have grown over the last decades and are expected to continue to grow, due to as yet unmet clinical needs. The cancer and autoimmune markets has been the major target for many of the leading protein-based blockbuster drugs, such as Rituxan, Herceptin, Remicade, Enbrel, and Humira, with sales exceeding $ 20 billion in 2006.
Science and Technology
Conventional protein therapeutics are comprised of a single functional unit that mediates one primary function -- such as blocking a specific receptor or ligand. In contrast, KAHR Medical’s technology integrates two functional units, enabling them to elicit multiple self-reinforcing functional endpoints. Typically, each TSCP will connect a portion of a type I membrane protein (at the fusion protein’s N-terminus) with a portion of a type II membrane protein (at the fusion protein’s C-terminus). The result is superior activity and specificity, with therapeutic benefits that cannot be achieved simply by administering the TSCP component elements as separate units.
Several TSCP fusion proteins have been intensely studied, mostly by research teams at the University of Pennsylvania and Hadassah Medical Center (Israel). Their promise as drug candidates has been documented in multiple scientific publications.
KAHR Medical has selected two of the investigated TSCP candidates, KAHR-101 and KAHR-102, for its drug development pipeline. Both drug candidates are in pre-clinical development towards clinical studies. KHAR-101 is the company’s leading product that is expected to initiate clinical trials in cancer patients in mid 2011.
Scientific Team
The TSCP technology was invented by Mark L. Tykocinski, M.D. Professor Tykocinski is a leader in the field of immune regulation. He is Dean of the Jefferson Medical College and Senior Vice President of the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Before joining the Jefferson University, Prof. Tykocinski was Chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania for over a decade.
The Hadassah Medical Center team is lead by Dr. Michal Elhalel Dranitzky, M.D. Dr. Elhalel is Chief of Nephrology and a leading investigator in the field of molecular regulation
Intellectual Property
KAHR has a worldwide exclusive license from the University of Pennsylvania for the TSCP technology IP portfolio. The company’s IP estate includes a variety of innovative patents / patent applications. The TSCP patents are relatively recent, and freedom-to-operate (FTO) analyses have been performed by a leading U.S. attorney for all pipeline candidates
Collaboration / Investment Sought
The company is seeking additional investment to support initiation of clinical studies in 2011.
