Events
June 16, 2025
Inspired by Nature,
We’re reimagining
antibiotics
Developing a new class of ribosome-targeting antibiotics
About Us
Kinvard Bio, a spin-out from the prestigious Myers Lab at Harvard University’s Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, is pioneering the development of a new and differentiated class of ribosome-targeting antibacterials known as oxepanoprolinamides (OPPs).
With a focus on addressing the highest unmet patient need and commercial potential, Kinvard Bio’s OPP class of antibacterials presents substantial therapeutic potential across multiple clinical indications.
Designed for both intravenous and oral routes of administration, our OPPs offer versatile treatment options for a range of acute and chronic bacterial infections.
Key technology features:
- Proprietary synthetic chemistry platform: Robust, scalable chemistry
- Clinically validated target: The OPPs are structurally preorganized for optimal binding in the bacterial ribosome
- Broad spectrum activity: Effective against a broad range of clinically important pathogens, including Gram-postive and Gram-negative bacteria, including non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli (NFGNB)
- Resistance avoidance: OPPs overcome a wide range of pre-existing resistance mechanisms
- Targeting acute and chronic infections: Combined IV / oral routes of administration and extended spectrum of activity affords significant clinical indication optionality
Kinvard Bio
oxepanoprolinamides (OPPs)
oxepanoprolinamides (OPPs)
Cresomycin: An antibiotic preorganized for ribosomal binding that overcomes antimicrobial resistance
A GLOBAL NEED
Bacterial Infections: A Major Contributor to the Global Burden of Disease
The rising incidence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is diminishing the effectiveness of existing oral antibiotics. With few new oral treatments in development, patients are increasingly dependent on hospital-based intravenous therapies, driving up healthcare costs and worsening patient outcomes.
1 in 8
deaths
deaths
are linked to bacterial infection.1
1M+
Deaths each year since 1990 due to antibiotic resistance.
The rising incidence of drug-resistant infections is projected to claim over 39 million lives by 2050.2
Chronic bacterial infections are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity.
Mortality rates for the chronic respiratory infection, NTM-lung disease are between 10-48% in the US; averaging 27% globally with recurrence rates as high as 41%.
Infections are the second leading cause of death in patients with cancer and are often caused by resistant bacteria.
Resistance rates are up to 5x higher for key pathogens from cancer outpatients as compared to non-cancer patients.3
OUR PLATFORM
Creating a new class of ribosome-targeting antibiotics
The oxepanoprolinamide (OPP) platform
Oxepanoprolinamides (OPPs) feature a unique molecular structure that ensures optimal binding within a specific site of the bacterial ribosome. This results in potent, broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, both in vitro and in vivo, while effectively bypassing a wide range of pre-existing resistance mechanisms.
PRECISE TARGETING OF THE BACTERIAL RIBOSOME
OPPs bind optimally within the Peptidyl Transferase Center (PTC) of the ribosome, disrupting protein synthesis and rendering bacteria non-viable.
RATIONAL DRUG DESIGN
The novel bridged macrobicyclic ring system of OPPs ensures optimal binding within the ribosome’s Peptidyl Transferase Center (PTC), resulting in potent antibacterial activity and excellent drug-like properties.
ON-TARGET, ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY
OPPs exhibit up to 300-fold greater binding affinity and potency compared to traditional ribosome-targeting antibiotics like clindamycin. This enhanced target engagement results in potent antibacterial activity against a broad range of clinically important bacterial pathogens.
BROAD-SPECTRUM ACTIVITY
The OPPs exhibit excellent in vitro and in vivo activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens, including challenging multidrug-resistant and pan-drug-resistant bacteria. The compound class also demonstrates activity against nontuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM) associated with difficult to treat chronic respiratory infections.
Resistance Avoidance
The structural framework of OPPs is preorganized for optimal binding within the bacterial ribosome. This design effectively ‘bypasses’ a broad range of diverse, pre-existing resistance mechanisms, offering promising potential for clinical impact in drug resistant infections.
IV / Oral Administration
The OPPs offer excellent potential for both oral and intravenous drug delivery, addressing the critical need for IV-oral step-down therapies. Dual routes of administration will reduce hospitalizations, shorten inpatient care durations, and effectively manage chronic bacterial infections.
PLATFORM AND PIPELINE EXPANSION
The OPP chemistry platform offers significant expansion and synthetic scalability, allowing us to build our pipeline into new programs and clinical indications.
OPP Binding Site
Peptidyl Transferase Center
The OPP Class of Antibacterials
On-Target, Antibacterial Activity
Broad-Spectrum Activity
Resistance Avoidance
IV / Oral Administration
Platform and Pipeline Expansion
OUR PIPELINE
A Pipeline Focused on Patient Need and Commercial Potential
Tackling challenging acute and chronic bacterial infections
Kinvard Bio leverages advanced rational drug design to create a novel class of therapeutics that target the bacterial ribosome. By engaging a clinically validated target in a new way, Kinvard Bio aims to tackle the global challenges of both acute and chronic bacterial infections, as well as antimicrobial resistance.
KV-001
Lead Optimization (LO) stage: Hospital-Acquired and Ventilator-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia (HABP/VABP) and complicated Urinary Tract Infections (cUTI). This focus on Gram-negative bacteria addresses some of the most challenging and resistant pathogens in healthcare.
KV-002
Advancing through lead optimization (LO) towards the Investigational New Drug (IND) stage for Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia (CABP) and Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections (ABSSSIs). Our efforts target all major CABP/ABSSSI pathogens, including those resistant to known antibiotics.
KV-003
Our discovery stage program is progressing the OPPs in additional clinical indications associated with high unmet patient need and commercial potential. This includes chronic respiratory diseases such as nontuberculosis mycobacterial lung disease (NTM-LD).
HABP/VABP
cUTI
CABP & ABSSSI
NTM Lung Disease
Hospital Acquired and Ventilator Associated Bacterial Pneumonia (HABP / VABP)
GLOBAL DISEASE BURDEN
PATIENT NEED AND MARKET
- Global HABP incidence: 5 to 10 cases per 1,000 adult hospital admissions.
- Global VABP incidence: >20M patients globally receive mechanical ventilation each year.
- VAP affects 10–25% of all patients on mechanical ventilation.
- Global mortality: HABP: 20–30%; VAP: 20–50%.
- Worldwide, HABP and VABP are recognized as the primary causes of mortality stemming from hospital-acquired infections (accounting for 22% of all healthcare-acquired infections in the US).
- Significant need for a non carbapenem, non- BL/BLI, IV with oral step-down option to avoid hospitalization or enable earlier discharge.
Complicated Urinary Tract Infections (cUTI)
GLOBAL DISEASE BURDEN
PATIENT NEED AND MARKET
- 405,000,000 cases, 236,790 deaths, and 520,200 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) globally.9
- Each hospitalization for cUTI in US costs ~$21,000.10
- Increasing incidence of multidrug resistance to Gram-negative Enterobacterales (main cause of cUTIs).11
- The WHO has categorized multidrug resistant Enterobacterales as a global critical threat. High cross-resistance among currently available oral treatments limits outpatient treatment options.12
- Global treatment market was $9.2B in 2023, with a 5.76% CAGR (2023 to 2033).
- Significant need for a non-carbapenem, non-BL/BLI, IV with oral step-down option to reduce reliance on “last resort” carbopenems, avoid hospitalization or enable earlier discharge.
- Hospital costs are reduced by ~$4,000 per patient for each 1-day reduction in length of hospital stay.10
Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia (CABP) and Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections (ABSSSI)
GLOBAL DISEASE BURDEN
PATIENT NEED AND MARKET
- 8th leading cause of death and the most infectious cause of death globally.4
- Responsible for 3 million deaths annually.5
- Leading cause of death for children under five.
- Leads to >1.5m hospitalizations / year in the US, with annual medical costs >$10bn p.a.6
- Almost 9% of US patients hospitalized with CABP recur, and are hospitalized again, within a year.7
- Global treatment market was $5B in 2023 with a 5.3% CAGR (2023 to 2033).5
- Global prevalence increasing due to aging population, COPD, smoking and pollution.8
- Significant need for a differentiated treatment class / MoA, IV with oral step-down option to avoid/reduce hospitalization and enable earlier hospital discharge.
Chronic Respiratory Infections (NTM Lung Disease)
GLOBAL DISEASE BURDEN
PATIENT NEED AND MARKET
- 180,000 people in the US estimated to have lung disease at any given time; rising by 8% annually.13
- Global prevalence estimated at 7 per 100,000 population and increasing; chronic conditions such as bronchiectasis, COPD, and cystic fibrosis increase risk.14
- Mortality rate for NTM pulmonary disease is between 10-48% in the US; averages 27% globally.15
- Chronic respiratory infections treated in outpatient setting, but recent clinical failures have resulted in lack of oral options.
- Recurrence rates as high as 41%, averaging 1.5 years after successful treatment.16
- Global treatment market was $12.4B in 2022 with a 5.4% CAGR (2023 to 2031).
- M. abscessus (MAB): 15k US patients, no approved treatments.
- M. avium complex (MAC): 50k US patients, 1 approved drug (inhaled Arikayce, sales >$300m/year, poor adherence due to severe side effects).
Management
Advisory Board
Board of Directors
Leadership Team
Scientific Advisory Board
Board of Directors
Paul Garofolo
Board Director
- Co-Founder and CEO of Locus Biosciences
- 20+ years life science track record at both publicly traded multi-national corporations and successful startup opportunities
- Successfully raised dilutive and non-dilutive capital as well as executed on partnerships with government and large pharma
RESOURCES
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Events
April 11, 2025
PublicationsNature Chemistry | Antibiotic Synthesis
March 7, 2025
PublicationsJournal of the American Chemical Society | Macrobicyclic Thiolincosamines
October 12, 2024
PublicationsScience | Ribosomal Binding
February 15, 2024
PublicationsNature Chemical Biology | Antimicrobial Resistance
January 18, 2024
PublicationsBioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters | Tritiation of Iboxamycin
July 15, 2023
PublicationsNature | Synthetic Antibiotic Class
October 27, 2021
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