Subverting Cancer’s Ability to Evade Therapy

Targeting Adapative Resistance

Kurome Therapeutics is developing therapies that target cancer cells that have co-opted immune signaling pathways in order to avoid destruction by traditional therapeutic agents and subvert adaptive resistance mechanisms.

Adaptive Resistance is Complex…

Cancer cells adapt to chemo- and targeted therapies by co-opting signaling pathways previously thought to only be utilized by the host immune system. This is referred to as adaptive resistance.
This adaptive resistance mechanism allows the cancer cell to survive conventional chemotherapeutic and targeted therapies (e.g. FLT3 inhibitors) by activating IRAK1 and IRAK4 kinases

…But Kurome Has a New Approach

In pre-clinical trials, we have shown that inhibiting IRAK1 and IRAK4 provides an overall survival benefit in MDS and AML cells by suppressing this adaptive resistance mechanism in naïve and relapsed / refractory cancer
IRAK1 and IRAK4 are also co-opted in a variety of cancer cell backgrounds, where their inhibition suppresses the survival of the cancer cells

Our Technology

A targeted approach for treating hematological cancers and beyond

Kurome Therapeutics is a preclinical stage company that is developing a series of IRAK1/4, panFLT3 inhibitors. Preclinical studies have demonstrated:

Broad range of efficacy in MDS and AML patient-derived cell lines
Synergy with Venclexta® (Venetoclax) to improve Venclexta® potency
Identification of a biomarker that correlates with prognosis in AML patients and maximal activation of immune signaling through this pathway in AML cells
Increased overall survival in cell line and patient-derived xenograft models, well beyond that of existing FLT3 inhibitors
Maintenance of complete efficacy even in settings of adaptive resistance to FLT3 inhibitors and in settings of FLT3 mutations

Kurome’s Team

A seasoned technical management team with more than 50 years of combined experience in Pharma and Biotech investment and program execution.

Management

Jan Rosenbaum, PhD

President & CEO / Chief Scientific Officer

Engaged by CCHMC’s Innovation Ventures to establish value proposition and business case
Over 25 years Pharma, Biotech technical management experience
Former CSO, Airway Therapeutics; 5 years CincyTech; Advisory Panel, Harrington Discovery Institute
12 patents and >35 publications

John Rice, PhD

Executive Chairman

Managing Director, CincyTech
30 years investing, 13 years R&D management experience
Currently Chairman, Airway Therapeutics, Eccrine Systems, Genetesis, Xact Medical
Member of the Board: Enable Injections, Meridian Biosciences
Founder & Former Chair, Akebia and Aerpio

Scientific Advisory Board

Daniel Starczynowski, PhD

Chairman

Scientific Founder, Kurome Therapeutics
Professor, Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC)
Katherine Stewart Waters Endowed Chair of Hematologic Malignancies
Forty under 40 (Cincinnati Business Courier) and NHLBI Emerging Investigator Award recipient
9 patents and >50 publications

Board of Directors

Abram Gordon, JD

Board Member

Interim Vice President, Cincinnati Children’s Innovation Ventures.
Executive Director, Cincinnati Children’s Proton Therapy Center.
Attorney with 20+ years of legal and management experience in several different industries

Manish Bhandari, MD

Board Member

Oncologist, educated Harvard Medical School & Univ of Michigan; with 15 year oncology practice experience
Investigator in over 24 oncology therapeutic/targeted therapy trials in malignant hematology and Oncology
Awarded "Unsung Hero" award by Cancer Family care and "Lifetime achievement award" as Oncology Luminary for cancer susceptibility testing
Over dozen publications in Oncology and malignant hematology
Angel investor in over half dozen biotech and medtech startups (Blinkpad, Zenspace, Enable injections, Blue Water Vaccines, SayanMil Scientific)
Oncology patient motivational speaker

Jan Rosenbaum, PhD

President & CEO / Chief Scientific Officer

Engaged by CCHMC’s Innovation Ventures to establish value proposition and business case
Over 25 years Pharma, Biotech technical management experience
Former CSO, Airway Therapeutics; 5 years CincyTech; Advisory Panel, Harrington Discovery Institute
12 patents and >35 publications

John Rice, PhD

Executive Chairman

Managing Director, CincyTech
30 years investing, 13 years R&D management experience
Currently Chairman, Airway Therapeutics, Eccrine Systems, Genetesis, Xact Medical
Member of the Board: Enable Injections, Meridian Biosciences
Founder & Former Chair, Akebia and Aerpio

News & Research

Filter:

RP Targeting AML-associated FLT3 mutations with a type I kinase inhibitor

Jones LM et al - 2020
Journal of Clinical Investigation

RP Overcoming adaptive therapy resistance in AML by targeting immune response pathways

Melgar K et al – 2019
Science Translational Medicine

RP U2AF1 mutations induce oncogenic IRAK4 isoforms and activate innate immune pathways in myeloid malignancies.

Smith MA et al – 2019
Nature Cell Biology

RP Chronic immune response dysregulation in MDS pathogenesis.

Barreyro L et al – 2018
American Society of Hematology

RP IRAK1 is a novel DEK transcriptional target and is essential for head and neck cancer cell survival.

Adams AK et al - 2015
Oncotarget

RP IRAK signalling in cancer

Rhyasen GW and Starczynowski DT – 2015
British Journal of Cancer

RP IRAK1: Oncotarget in MDS and AML

Beverly LJ and Starczynowski DT - 2014
Oncotarget

RP Targeting IRAK1 as a therapeutic approach for myelodysplastic syndrome

Rhyasen GW et al – 2013
Cancer Cell