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Kala Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts and was founded in 200 by Justin Hanes and Robert Langer.
The name Kala, from Kala Pharmaceuticals, comes from the Kalalau trail in Kauai, Hawaii, known for its strenuous path and difficult terrain but also for its beauty. The company is developing and commercializing therapeutics using their proprietary mucus-penetrating particle (MPP) technology with an initial focus on eye disease. MPPs are selectively sized with proprietary coatings, two characteristics the company believes enable even distribution of drug particles on mucosal surfaces and increase drug delivery to target tissues.
Kala created nanosuspensions of loteprednol etabonate (LE), a corticosteroid, with their MPP technology to generate two lead product candidates, INVELTYS (PI-121 1.0%) and KPI-121 0.25%. IVELTYS is for treating inflammation and pain after ocular surgery and KPI-121 0.25% is for temporary relief of dry eye disease signs and symptoms.
Iveltys which won FDA approval in 2018, is a new formulation of a topical steroid from Bausch Health which did not use nanoparticle technology. Iveltys is claimed to have better efficacy, safety and convenience for patients. Preliminary results from a Phase 3 study on KPI-121 are expected to be available in late 2019.
On February 28, 2013 Kala Pharmaceuticals completed their series A funding round with $11.5 million in funding from Crown Venture Fund (lead investor), Crown family of Chicago, Lux Capital Management, Polaris Venture Partners, and Third Rock Ventures.
On April 23, 2014 Kala Pharmaceuticals completed their series B funding round with $22.5 million in funding from Ysios Capital (lead investor), Third Rock Ventures, Polaris Partners, Lux Capital, Crown Venture Fund, and AbbVie Biotech Ventures.
On April 13, 2016 Kala Pharmaceuticals completed their series C funding round with $68 million in funding from Longitude Capital (lead investor), Wellington Management, Vivo Capital, RA Capital Management, Polaris Partners, Lux Capital, and CAM Capital.
