Kronos Bio Announces Selection of Autoimmune Development Candidate for Sjögren's Disease

Core Insights - Kronos Bio has nominated KB-7898, a p300 KAT inhibitor, as its first development candidate for autoimmune diseases, specifically targeting Sjögren's disease, which currently lacks approved treatments addressing its underlying causes [1][3] Group 1: Product Development - KB-7898 is being developed as an orally available therapy for Sjögren's disease, which is characterized by autoantibody production and chronic inflammation [2][5] - The company plans to initiate Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies for KB-7898 in Q4 2024 [1][3] Group 2: Mechanism of Action - p300 is a critical cofactor for immune responses, influencing B cells and T cells, which positions KB-7898 as a potential treatment for other autoimmune diseases in the future [2][3] - Preclinical data indicate that KB-7898 can reduce antibody production in B cells and cytokine production in T cells, potentially impacting the etiology of Sjögren's disease [3][5] Group 3: Preclinical Data - The preclinical data supporting KB-7898's efficacy will be presented at ACR Convergence 2024, highlighting its ability to downregulate proinflammatory cytokines and reduce inflammation in animal models [3][4] - Specific findings include decreased levels of TNFα, IL-23, and IL-17A, as well as reduced joint swelling and clinical scores in rat models [3] Group 4: Market Context - Sjögren's disease affects an estimated 2 to 4 million people in the U.S., with only about 1 million diagnosed due to its heterogeneous symptoms [5] - The disease significantly impacts quality of life and can lead to severe complications, including a 50% increase in all-cause mortality [5] Group 5: Company Overview - Kronos Bio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing small molecule therapeutics targeting deregulated transcription, with a pipeline that includes three drug candidates [6] - The company operates from San Mateo, California, and has a research facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts [6]