Company: KROS
Filing Date: 2025-02-26
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001664710-25-000018
Chunk: 100

Company: Keros Therapeutics, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-02-26
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 100
---
 a novel ligand trap comprised of a modified ligand-binding domain derived from ActRIIA and ActRIIB that is fused to the portion of the human antibody known as the Fc domain. KER-065 is designed to act as a ligand trap and inhibit the biological effects of myostatin and activin A, two ligands that signal through activin receptors, increase skeletal muscle regeneration, increase muscle size and strength, reduce body fat, reduce fibrosis of the skeletal muscle and increase bone strength. We are developing KER-065 for the treatment of neuromuscular diseases, with an initial focus on DMD. 

Neuromuscular Disease, including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Neuromuscular disease is a broad term that encompasses many diseases that either directly (via intrinsic muscle pathology) or indirectly (via nerve pathology) impair the functioning of muscles. Symptoms of neuromuscular disease include increasing generalized weakness and fatigue, dysphagia, dyspnea on exertion and at rest, sleepiness, morning headache, difficulties with concentration and mood changes. Most neuromuscular diseases are characterized by progressive muscular impairment leading to loss of muscle function and can lead to loss of ambulation, being wheelchair-bound, swallowing difficulties, respiratory muscle weakness and death. Neuromuscular disorders can progress rapidly or slowly. Decline in muscle mass can also be associated with secondary osteoporosis and obesity.

One example of a rapidly progressive condition is Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or DMD, which is the most common form of muscular dystrophy and results in muscle degeneration and premature death. DMD results from the lack of functional dystrophin protein that helps promote myofiber stability, caused by a gene mutation. The lack of dystrophin, an important structural component of muscle cells, causes muscle cells to have increased susceptibility to damage and to progressively die. Additionally, the absence of dystrophin in muscle cells leads to significant cell damage and ultimately causes muscle cell death and the replacement of muscle with fibrotic and fatty tissue. The replacement of muscle fibers with fatty and fibrotic tissue leads to progressive loss of muscle strength and function leading to immobility and respiratory and cardiac complications. In DMD patients, heart muscle cells progressively die and are replaced with scar tissue. This cardiomyopathy eventually leads to heart failure, which is currently the leading cause of death among those with DMD. The National 

11

Organization for Rare Disorders estimates that approximately one in every 3,500 male