Our Company
Ikena envisions a world where every cancer patient has a cure.
Ikena, headquartered in the biotech hub of Boston, Massachusetts, is a targeted oncology company focused on developing novel cancer therapies targeting key signaling pathways that drive the formation and spread of cancer. Our programs focus on key cancer driver pathways that are well-validated in scientific literature but lack approved or effective therapies and therefore have the potential to address high unmet medical needs. By leveraging our deep understanding of discovery chemistry, translational science, and patient-centric drug development, we have built a deep pipeline of wholly owned and partnered programs focused on genetically defined or biomarker-driven cancers, which enables us to target specific patient populations that we believe are most likely to respond to treatment with our product candidates.
Our name, Ikena, is derived from the combination of “I” which refers to the individual or the patient and “ken” which means understanding or knowledge, thereby illustrating our commitment to using our insights to identify which patients are most likely to benefit from our therapies. Ikena is also a Hawaiian word which means seeing, knowing, and having insight into the future. Our symbol further embodies our focus on pinpointing biomarkers that illuminate our knowledge into which patients may benefit from our therapies.
Today, our company is comprised of dedicated talented professionals who are striving to see, know, and understand what drives every patient’s cancer, with the ultimate goal of making a difference in patients’ lives.
Passion, innovation, and courage are instrumental to Ikena’s continued progress towards accomplishing our mission and it is on those principles and values that Ikena is rapidly becoming a leader in the field of oncology.
Our History
Since our launch, we have achieved a number of milestones towards bringing novel biomarker-driven cancer therapies to patients.
2021
- Ikena Oncology announces $120 million Series B raise led by Omega Funds.
- Ikena Oncology advances IK-930, a TEAD inhibitor, into IND-enabling studies.
- Ikena Oncology unveils preclinical program targeting the RAS signaling pathway.
2020
- Ikena Oncology forms multi-disciplinary Scientific Advisory Board comprised of prominent scientists and clinical investigators.
- Ikena Oncology presents preclinical data on its first targeted oncology program, a TEAD inhibitor targeting the Hippo pathway.
- Ikena Oncology’s AHR antagonist program, IK-175, enters Phase 1 studies.
2019
- Kyn Therapeutics rebrands as Ikena Oncology, announces clearance of IND for IK-175 and debuts Hippo pathway program.
- Kyn Therapeutics executes an exclusive global strategic collaboration with Celgene Corporation, now Bristol Myers Squibb, for the development and commercialization of IK-175 and IK-412.
2018
- Kyn Therapeutics’ EP4 antagonist program, IK-007, enters Phase 1b in combination with Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy Keytruda® (pembrolizumab).
- Arrys Therapeutics becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyn Therapeutics.
- Kyn Therapeutics nominates IK-175 and IK-412 as development candidates for the AHR antagonist and Kynurenine-degrading enzyme programs, respectively.
2017
- Kyn Therapeutics announces a Series A financing from OrbiMed and Atlas Venture.
- Kyn Therapeutics, through Arrys, executes an exclusive license agreement with Japan’s AskAt Inc. obtaining worldwide rights (excluding China and Taiwan) for EP4 antagonist IK-007 and a backup molecule IK-008.
- Kyn Therapeutics initiates AHR antagonist program.
2016
- Kyn Therapeutics, Inc. commences operations after being co-founded by Professor George Georgiou, Ph.D. the Laura Jennings Turner Chair in Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, around the kynurenine-degrading enzyme program.