Overview
Our KinAce platform represents the first practical use of the human genomics database to systematically generate drug candidates that target protein kinases. Our computer algorithms enable Keryx to analyze genomic data in order to rapidly create compounds that aim to regulate kinases.

Keryx's approach has already produced 13 lead drug compounds, all of which have shown biological activity, with nine already demonstrating positive results in in vivo testing. It has taken us an average of approximately four months to develop a drug candidate from concept to in vivo testing.

Scientific Background
Cells communicate with each other to coordinate growth and differentiation. The primary mechanism by which cells communicate is a messenger system comprising the transmission of biochemical signals. Protein kinases mediate this process, known as signal transduction, in multicellular organisms.

Scientists have estimated that over 1,100 distinct protein kinases exist in the human genome. They may be present as membrane receptors or located inside the cell and act in biochemically important roles. Agents which can modulate the activity of protein kinases have the potential to treat a wide variety of medical conditions.

Our KinAce platform technology develops small compounds designed to inhibit or stimulate the activity of a specific kinase.

Advantages of the KinAce Approach
We believe that our KinAce platform has the following advantages over traditional drug discovery methods:

• Increased hit rate. Our KinAce platform identifies specific kinase regions and once targeted it is easier to determine which compound will have the desired effect on that region. Accordingly, we are able to focus our efforts on only ten to twenty compounds for testing per kinase target.
  
• Reduced time to discovery. Our approach enables us to generate compounds in an average time, from concept to in vivo testing, of approximately four months. In contrast, the industry standard using high throughput screening ranges from two to four years.
• Reduced toxicity. We believe the increased specificity of our drug candidates should result in less toxicity. Our drug candidates are designed to regulate a region unique to a particular kinase and cause biological changes that are specific to the functions of that kinase alone. Other drug discovery methods target a region that is common to many kinases and consequently are more likely to also cause additional toxic and potentially dangerous effects.
• Greater versatility. We believe that our ability to stimulate, as well as inhibit, protein kinases makes our drug candidates more versatile in the treatment of diseases and other abnormal conditions than the compounds of our competitors which typically aim only to inhibit kinase activity.