Kosan Biosciences

From WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

Kosan Biosciences

Kosan Biosciences, Inc. (stock symbol: KOSN), is a pharmaceutical company which deals with cancer therapeutics medications.

Cancer drug development[edit | edit source]

The company is currently working on advancing two new classes of anticancer agents through clinical development: heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitors and epothilones.

Technology[edit | edit source]

Their technology platform is based on manipulation of the genetic instructions of microbes for making natural product polyketides.

  • Rearranging the modular units in natural polyketide synthases,
  • combining modules from different enzymes,
  • and incorporating novel synthetic chemical starter units

This enables them to produce a wide variety of novel polyketides that would be difficult to obtain via organic synthesis alone.

History[edit | edit source]

Founded in 1995, Kosan is headquartered in Hayward, California and currently has approximately 90 employees.

Funding[edit | edit source]

Kosan was funded in part as a venture capital start-up with funds from Sofinnova Ventures of California.

Acquisition[edit | edit source]

On June 26, 2008, Kosan Biosciences was acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb

Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD