Karyopharm Therapeutics

Karyopharm Therapeutics is a publicly traded, clinical-stage pharmaceutical company based in Newton, Massachusetts that was founded in 2008 by Ronald A. DePinho and Sharon Shacham.

The company focuses on the discovery and development of first-in-class drugs directed against nuclear transport targets for the treatment of cancer and other major diseases. The company specializes in oral Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export (SINE) technology, which was developed to address a central mechanism of oncogenesis via the inhibition of exportins, specifically XPO1.

Products

Karyopharm's leading product candidate is Selinexor, an oral, reversible SINE that specifically blocks XPO1. It is being evaluated in multiple Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials in patients with relapsed or refractory hematological and solid tumor malignancies. Selinexor has been granted Orphan Drug Designation in both the US and the EU in multiple myeloma. It is also being investigated in clinical Phase 3 clinical studies for advanced unresectable dedifferentiated liposarcoma and endometrial cancer. Karyopharm is preparing for its first potential U.S. commercial launch with Selinexor sometime in 2019.

Other products in the company's pipeline include, Eltanexor, Verdinexor, and KPT-9274. Eltanexor is an investigational second-generation SINE compound that is designed to selectively block XPO1. Similar to Selinexor, it is also intended to serve as a treatment for cancer indications, including myelodysplastic syndrome, colorectal cancer, and castrate-resistant prostate cancer.

Verdinexor is intended to be a potential oral antiviral treatment for influenza. It is also being evaluated for the treatment of lymphomas and other cancers in dogs. KPT-9274 is an orally bioavailable small molecule that is a non-competitive dual modulator of PAK4 and NAMPT for the treatment of patients with advanced solid malignancies or non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Funding

Series A

On November 2, 2011 Karyopharm Therapeutics completed their series A funding round with $10 million in funding from Chione.

Series B

On May 20, 2017 Karyopharm Therapeutics completed their series B funding round with $48.5 million in capital from Delphi Ventures.