Our Science

At Kinoxis Therapeutics, we are advancing a pipeline of first-in-class small-molecule drugs targeting ALOX15, a central regulator of neuroinflammation in the brain. By addressing this shared biological pathway, our approach has the potential to treat agitation, aggression, and acute and chronic pain across multiple high-need CNS indications

ALOX15

A new target for CNS indications

ALOX15 is a lipid-signaling enzyme that plays a central role in regulating neuroinflammation and neural excitability in the brain. The enzyme converts polyunsaturated fatty acids into bioactive lipid mediators that influence neuronal signaling, synaptic strength, and inflammatory responses within the central nervous system.

Dysregulation of ALOX15 contributes to the biological pathways underlying agitation, aggression, and chronic pain. By modulating this pathway, ALOX15 inhibitors have the potential to interrupt lipid-ROS driven inflammatory signaling, reduce pathological neural sensitization, and restore healthier neural circuit activity.

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Agitation & Aggression in Dementia

Someone in the world develops dementia every three seconds, and as many as 76% of these patients have symptoms of agitation & aggression.

These symptoms have a profound impact on patients, who may become socially isolated, placed in restrictive care environments if symptoms cannot be managed, or treated with medications that carry significant safety risks. The burden also falls heavily on caregivers, who provide an average of five hours of supervision each day.

In multiple preclinical studies, KNX100, a short-acting ALOX15 inhibitor, reduced aggression- and agitation-like behaviors by modulating disease-relevant neural and pharmacological pathways. Kinoxis is advancing KNX100 as a potential treatment for agitation and aggression in dementia, with an ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial, CARES-X.

Acute and Chronic Pain

For millions of patients pain remains inadequately treated despite decades of drug development. Existing therapies often provide only partial relief and are frequently limited by sedation, tolerance, or the risk of dependence.

Chronic pain is now increasingly recognized as a disorder of the nervous system, driven by persistent neuroinflammatory processes and neural sensitization that amplify pain signaling and sustain suffering.

Kinoxis Therapeutics is developing therapies designed to address these underlying biological mechanisms through small-molecule drugs targeting ALOX15, a key regulator of neuroinflammatory signaling in the central nervous system.
KNX101, a long-acting ALOX15 inhibitor, is currently under development for the treatment of acute and chronic pain and is designed to modulate the neuroinflammatory pathways that contribute to the initiation and persistence of pain.

Oxytocin Receptor

Partial Agonists

Kinoxis is pioneering therapeutics based on oxytocin receptor partial agonism, an emerging strategy for modulating central nervous system pathways involved in pain and stress regulation. By delivering controlled activation of the oxytocin receptor, Kinoxis drug candidates (KNX200 Series) aim to rebalance key neural circuits while avoiding the limitations associated with full receptor agonists.

This differentiated mechanism offers a novel route to treating the negative symptoms associated with schizophrenia, social anxiety disorder and alcohol use disorder.

Substance Use Disorders

Kinoxis continues to explore the potential of its compounds as treatments for substance use disorders and is exploring potential funding pathways to support clinical studies in alcohol, opioid, and methamphetamine use disorders.

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