Kanpecia is a startup spun out of the University of Kansas that is developing a topically applied alopecia medication, KaB-103 for the Chemotherapy Induced Alopecia (CIA) market and the Androgenic Alopecia market.
Kanpecia’s novel KaB-103 formula has been developed for safe, painless and easy scalp application in order to improve hair re-growth and potentially prevent hair-loss in chemotherapy patients. This novel therapeutic has shown early and improved hair growth in rodent models when compared to both controls and Minoxidil (Rogaine’s main active ingredient). Further, early tox studies indicate that high levels of systemic KaB-103 has not shown adverse effects in rats. Despite measuring toxicity of systemic levels of KaB-103, topical application along with specific molecular characteristics of KaB-103 should prevent any systemic exposure in humans.
Kanpecia holds several patents for the underlying KaB-103 technology that are allowed throughout the developed world. Patents have been filed in collaboration with KU, co-owner of the technology.
- President Daniel Aires (Harvard AB, Harvard Law JD, Yale Med MD), was Harvard Medical School faculty before becoming Dermatology Director at U. of Kansas, and was a McKinsey consultant prior to medical school.
- CSO Laird Forrest (Auburn BS Chem. Engr., U. Illinois PhD Chem. & Biomolec. Engr., U. Wisconsin postdoc Pharmaceutics) is a KU Professor with NCI-funded research on developing drug delivery technologies.
- COO Chad Groer (Ohio State BS Pharm. Sci., Ohio State PhD Biomed. Sci., Molecular Pharm., Scripps fellow) has previously received an SBIR Phase I grant from NIDA and a Kansas Biosciences Authority grant for his work developing a novel opioid compound.
- Advisors include Richard Korentager MD, Chair of Plastic Surgery at KU, Meena Singh MD, Dermatologist and Hair Transplant Surgeon, Dung Thai MD/PhD, Pharmaceutical and FDA Trial consultant