KINEX

Athenex, originally established as Kinex Pharmaceuticals, was a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel cancer treatments. The company’s core strategy involved its proprietary Orbis platform, which utilized the P-glycoprotein inhibitor encequidar to enable the oral administration of traditionally intravenous chemotherapies. Athenex successfully commercialized Klisyri (tirbanibulin) for actinic keratosis and advanced a diverse pipeline including oral formulations of paclitaxel and irinotecan, as well as an innovative CAR-NKT cell therapy platform. Despite these advancements, the company faced significant regulatory hurdles and financial strain following the FDA's rejection of its oral paclitaxel candidate. In May 2023, Athenex filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and subsequently sold its primary assets to various industry partners, marking the end of its independent operations.