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Krystal Biotech (KRYS) Earnings Call Presentation
KrystalKrystal(US:KRYS)2025-07-09 14:39

Neurotrophic Keratitis (NK) Market & KB801 Opportunity - The number of patients in the U S with at least one NK claim has increased by over 115% from 31,000 in 2020 to an estimated 68,000 in 2024[9, 10] - In 2023, U S Medicaid and Medicare spent over $540 million on Oxervate, the only FDA-approved therapy for NK[12] - An estimated over 410,000 days of Oxervate therapy were reimbursed in the U S in 2024[12] - KB801 is designed to address the shortcomings of Oxervate, aiming for superior NGF exposure with significantly reduced dosing frequency[11, 21] KB801 Preclinical Data - KB801 transduces primary human corneal epithelial cells in vitro, leading to dose-dependent expression and secretion of mature NGF[25, 26, 29] - In vitro studies confirmed functionality of secreted NGF using a growth factor starved cell proliferation assay[25, 30] - Topical administration of KB801 to wounded murine corneas was well-tolerated and resulted in localized NGF expression[25] - Head-to-head mouse PK studies demonstrated a clear durability advantage with KB801 compared to recombinant NGF, even against intensive recombinant dosing[43, 47] KB801 Clinical Development - The EMERALD-1 study is a Phase 1/2 double-masked, 2:1 randomized, placebo-controlled study in patients with moderate-to-severe NK, with the first patient dosed in July 2025[51, 53, 1] - Krystal is pursuing Platform Technology Designation with the FDA, potentially leading to expedited development of KB801[56, 57]