Our Company
Ikena envisions a world where every cancer patient has a cure.
Ikena, headquartered in the biotech hub of Boston, Massachusetts, is dedicated to bringing next generation targeted oncology and immunometabolism therapies to patients suffering from cancer. We are committed to leveraging our unique understanding of the complex biologic pathways that drive the formation and spread of cancers to discover and develop novel, patient-directed therapies. Selecting patients for treatment in clinical studies with biomarkers we develop is at the core of our strategy.
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 cancer therapies to patients.
2021
- Ikena Oncology raises $120 million in Series B financing 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 second immunometabolism 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’ lead immunometabolism program IK-007 enters Phase 1b/2 studies 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 AHR antagonist and Kynase programs, respectively.
2017
- Kyn Therapeutics announces $49 million in 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.
- Kyn Therapeutics initiates AHR antagonist program.
2016
- Kyn Therapeutics was 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 (termed “Kynase”) program.