Profile: Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. is focused on the acquisition and development of novel pharmaceutical products for the treatment of life-threatening diseases, including renal disease and cancer. Our products include zerenex™, KRX-0401, KRX-0501 and KRX-0701. We develop zerenex™ an oral, iron-based compound that has the capacity to bind to phosphate and forms non-absorbable complexes. This compound is currently in Phase 2 clinical development for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia in patients with ESRD. KRX-0501 is an orally available small molecule in clinical development with the potential to treat neurological disorders. Its unique ability is to enhance nerve growth factor; it is a naturally occurring protein which is essential in the development and survival of certain sympathetic and sensory neurons in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. It is useful in the treatment of neurological conditions such as diabetic neuropathic pain, Huntington & Alzheimer disease, as well as chemotherapy-induced neuropathy. KRX-0701 is considered to be an antioxidant and can normalize the cell redox imbalance that occurs in diabetes. It is used for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy and possibly other neuropathic conditions. We also develop KRX-0401 an oral anti-cancer agent that modulates Akt, a protein in the body associated with tumor survival and growth. This agent also modulates a number of other key signal transduction pathways, including the JNK and MAPK pathways, which are pathways associated with programmed cell death, cell growth, cell differentiation and cell survival.