ABOUT US
GROUND-BREAKING THERAPEUTICS
Stock Code: 2105.HK
Founded in 2016, Laekna is a science-driven, clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to bringing novel therapies to cancer, metabolic diseases and liver fibrosis patients worldwide.
As of December 31, 2023, we have initiated six clinical trials for Afuresertib (LAE002), LAE001 and LAE005 for the treatment of breast cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer and PD-1/ PD-L1 drug-resistant solid tumors to address the unmet medical needs. Among these six clinical trials, three are multi-regional clinical trials (MRCTs). Afuresertib is a potent AKT inhibitor that inhibits all three AKT isoforms (AKT1, AKT2 and AKT3) as well as one of the only two AKT inhibitors in or completed the pivotal-stage clinical development for anti-cancer treatment globally.
Laekna’s internal drug discovery platform has discovered 14 drug candidates. LAE102 is our internally discovered antibody against ActRIIA. We've obtained IND approval from the FDA in relation to obesity. Blocking Activin-ActRII pathway could promote skeletal muscle regeneration and decrease fat mass. Laekna team has accumulated tremendous experience and deep know-how in this specific field and is developing more drug candidates (LAE103 and LAE123) to maximize the value of targeting ActRII receptors.
Laekna, Inc. was listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Hong Kong Stock Exchange”) on June 29, 2023, with the stock code 2105.HK.
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Jeff Porter, Ph.D. was appointed as Chairman of Scientific Advisory Board of Laekna in March 2022. He has over 25 years of global R&D leadership and strategic expertise, having most recently served as Vice President, Global Head of Chemical Biology & Therapeutics for the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR).
As a senior member of the Leadership team at the NIBR from its inception, Jeff developed an enabling target and lead discovery approach focused on biological pathways, a fundamental tool for the success of NIBR. The diverse research group he led developed a dynamic multidisciplinary platform that merged pathway biology and disease area expertise with enabling technology. Their efforts led to numerous seminal discoveries, from fundamental insights to novel targets and clinical candidates that showed benefits in early proof of concept human trials and beyond. Examples include the discovery of multiple key targets/drug candidates in the core pathways of Developmental biology as well as the ‘drug-ability’ of RNA splicing.
Prior to Novartis, Jeff worked with Ontogeny (now Curis, Inc.) for over 5 years, starting as a staff scientist and advancing to serve as its Vice President of Research. He received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and performed postdoctoral work in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Johns Hopkins.
Dr. Peter ten Dijke was appointed as advisor of Scientific Advisory Board of Laekna in 2021. He is the professor of molecular cell biology at Leiden University. His laboratory studies how subverted TGF family signaling is involved in cancer, vascular and bone diseases. They combine chemistry with biology to develop novel synthetic molecules for therapeutic gain.
He received his Ph.D. degree in 1991 from Wageningen University, The Netherlands based on his research on the identification of the third isoform of TGF-β performed at Oncogene Science, Inc., New York, USA. He did his postgraduate studies with Kohei Miyazono and Carl-Henrik Heldin at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR), Uppsala, Sweden. In 1994, he became group leader at LICR and in 1999 he moved to the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. In 2005 he moved to the Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Dr. Scott L. Friedman was appointed as advisor of Scientific Advisory Board of Laekna in 2022. He is the Dean for Therapeutic Discovery and Chief of the Division of Liver Diseases, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He has performed pioneering research into the underlying causes of scarring, or fibrosis associated with chronic liver disease, affecting millions worldwide. Dr. Friedman was among the first to isolate and characterize the hepatic stellate cell, the key cell type responsible for scar production in liver. His work has spawned an entire field that is now realizing its translational and therapeutic potential, with new anti-fibrotic therapies for liver disease reaching clinical trials.
He is widely recognized as a dynamic and a respected author, with over 300 peer-reviewed publications. He has mentored over 85 postdoctoral fellows and students. He has been a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians, and was elected as a Fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association, the Am. College of Physicians, the American Assn. for the Study of Liver Diseases and the American Association for the Advancement for Science.
Dr. Scott L. Friedman was recognized with the Distinguished Achievement Awards from both the American Assn for the Study of Liver Diseases and the American Liver Foundation. In 2013 he was awarded the Shanghai Magnolia Gold Award by the Mayor of Shanghai and the China Friendship Award from the Premier of China in 2014 in recognition of his efforts to improve the health of the residents of Shanghai and China through his research achievements.
Dr. Oyang was appointed as advisor of Scientific Advisory Board of Laekna in 2021. He has had over 40 years of experience in drug discovery. From 2013 to 2018, he was with the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (China) where he served as Head of Global Discovery Chemistry (China) and managed chemistry portfolio in drug and target discovery for various disease areas. From 2010 to 2013, he was with BioDuro where he served as Vice President of Chemistry. At BioDuro, he oversaw all programs in synthetic chemistry, medicinal chemistry and provided integrated services to clients. From 1982 to 2010, Dr. Oyang worked at Roche – in Palo Alto and at Syntex (acquired by Roche) where he served in roles of increasing responsibility including Director of Medicinal Chemistry. At Roche, he led multiple small molecule programs that advanced to the clinic. Dr. Oyang is an author of over 60 publications and patents.
Dr. Oyang obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Loyola University of Chicago (with Professor James W. Wilt) and pursued postdoctoral research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (with Professor Frederick D. Greene) and the University of Chicago (with Professor Josef Fried).
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