Senex Biotechnology
1 known investors
Senex Biotechnology develops small-molecule inhibitors targeting protein regulators of gene expression for cancer treatment, with lead programs in prostate cancer, breast cancer, and leukemia. The company is also exploring applications in inflammation and cardiovascular disease.
Also known as Senex Biotechnology Inc · Senex Biotechnology, Inc.
Investors · 1
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Senex Biotechnology is a drug discovery and development company focused on cancer therapeutics. Its lead program targets a protein that regulates gene expression and that cancer cells require in order to adapt to adversarial conditions, an adaptation linked to drug resistance and metastasis. In SBIR registry material the target is identified as Cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8), an oncogenic transcriptional regulator, together with its paralog CDK19; the company reports having developed and chemically optimized the first selective small-molecule inhibitors of CDK8/19. Development is directed at presently incurable forms of prostate cancer, breast cancer and leukemia, both as monotherapy and in combination with other therapeutics.
Beyond oncology, Senex is investigating its inhibitors in inflammation, cardiovascular disease and other conditions. The underlying scientific platform stems from a cell senescence (aging) signaling pathway — the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor pathway — that the company associates with cancer as well as chronic and age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, renal disease, atherosclerosis and arthritis, and with viral disease. Alongside the lead CDK8/19 program, Senex reports drug development efforts against two additional cancer targets. The company states that its most recent, highly potent and selective drug candidate is anticipated to enter clinical trials within a year, and its lead CDK8/19 inhibitor has undergone preclinical development in preparation for prostate and breast cancer trials.
Founding story
Senex Biotechnology was founded by Dr. Igor Roninson on the basis of discoveries in his academic laboratory concerning a novel biological pathway associated with senescence (aging) that is implicated in cancer and other chronic diseases, and on the use of functional genomics technologies to identify drug targets required by tumor cells but not by normal tissues.
Business model
Senex operates as a preclinical-stage therapeutics developer, advancing proprietary small-molecule inhibitors from discovery through preclinical development toward clinical trials, supported substantially by competitive non-dilutive federal and foundation grant funding.
No product revenue is described; funding sources identified are competitive grant awards (NIH SBIR, Department of Defense CDMRP, Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation) and venture investment. A third-party SBIR registry places the company in a $0.5M–$1M revenue range.
Traction
Senex reports 16 competitive grant awards from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs and the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation. SBIR records show 8 Phase I and 3 Phase II awards totaling roughly $6.37 million, a Phase II SBIR from the National Cancer Institute supporting advanced prostate cancer work, and a DoD CDMRP Prostate Cancer Research Program Translational Science Award. Registry data indicates 15–19 intellectual property holdings and a staff size of 5–9.
Latest developments
The company states that its latest, highly potent and selective drug candidate is anticipated to enter clinical trials within a year. Its most recent listed NIH award, in 2022, funds work on preventing in vivo resistance to PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors through Mediator kinase inhibition, following a 2021 Phase II award for CDK8/19 inhibitors in advanced prostate cancer.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
A small, grant-funded preclinical oncology company positioning itself as an originator of the first selective CDK8/19 inhibitors.
Technology
Selective small-molecule inhibitors of CDK8 and its paralog CDK19, kinases that regulate RNA synthesis and transcription, discovered using functional genomics approaches to identify targets required by tumor cells but not normal tissue. The company describes chemically optimized, highly selective and potent compounds, and novel uses for CDK8/19 inhibition in cancer, viral, inflammatory and cardiovascular disease.
Go-to-market
Development is pursued in-house with public and foundation grant support; the company also investigates combination use of its inhibitors with other therapeutics.
Patients with currently incurable prostate cancer, breast cancer (including HER2-positive disease) and leukemia; secondary indications explored include inflammatory, cardiovascular and age-related diseases.
Geography
Headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, at the Coker Life Science Building, 715 Sumter Street, with facilities and personnel also indicated in upstate New York; operations originally started in Albany, New York.
History
The company's founding year is given as 2002 in SBIR registry and third-party listings. Operations began in Albany, New York in 2004, and the company relocated to Columbia, South Carolina in 2011. Its first SBIR award came in 2006 and its most recent listed award in 2022. In April 2014 SCRA Technology Ventures presented a second investment tranche to the company.
Compiled by commissioned research from 5 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 8
launches, deals, and filings$400K source ↗
$2.2M source ↗
$300K source ↗
$299.9K source ↗
$299.2K source ↗
SCRA Technology Ventures presented a 'big check' marking a second investment tranche to Senex Biotechnology.
The company relocated from Albany, NY to Columbia, SC.
Senex Biotechnology started its operations in Albany, NY.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 5
primary sources listed
- Senex Biotechnologysenexbio.com · web
5 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Senex Biotechnology do?
- Drug discovery company developing selective small-molecule CDK8/19 inhibitors for prostate, breast and blood cancers.
- Who are Senex Biotechnology's investors?
- Senex Biotechnology's investors include Illinois Ventures.