What Cirius Therapeutics does

Cirius Therapeutics is a privately held, clinical-stage pharmaceutical company headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, developing next-generation oral insulin sensitizers for chronic metabolic diseases driven by insulin resistance. Its sole clinical asset, azemiglitazone (CIR-0602K, formerly MSDC-0602K), is a small molecule that inhibits the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) — a mechanism distinct from first-generation thiazolidinediones such as Actos — to rebalance mitochondrial metabolism, improve insulin sensitivity, preserve lean muscle mass, and shift visceral fat to metabolically beneficial subcutaneous and brown adipose tissue. The drug is being developed across multiple indications including Type 2 Diabetes, obesity (in combination with GLP-1 receptor agonists), Type 1 Diabetes, and gestational diabetes.

The company originated from Metabolic Solutions Development Company (MSDC), co-founded in 2006 by Chief Science Officer Jerry Colca, who previously led the selection and early development of pioglitazone (Actos) at The Upjohn Company. Cirius has completed a Phase 2b trial of 392 participants over 52 weeks demonstrating improvements in glycemic control, insulin response, fatty liver, and metabolic biomarkers without the edema and heart failure risks associated with first-generation insulin sensitizers. A Phase 2 study in adults with Type 1 Diabetes using automated insulin delivery began dosing in June 2026 at the University of Virginia School of Medicine with Breakthrough T1D support, and a gestational diabetes initiative was launched in April 2026 with planning grant funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Cirius operates with 11-50 employees, has raised approximately $49 million in disclosed venture funding (Series B of $40M in 2017 led by Frazier Healthcare Partners and Novo Holdings, plus a $9M round in 2018), and has not yet generated commercial revenue. The go-to-market model is currently event-driven, relying on presentations at major endocrinology and cardiology conferences (ADA, ObesityWeek, CVCT Forum) to build key opinion leader awareness. Future commercialization will rely on specialty pharmaceutical distribution and partnerships with healthcare providers pending FDA approval and Phase 3 initiation.

Name

Cirius Therapeutics

Legal name

Cirius Therapeutics, Inc.

Website

https://ciriustx.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cirius Therapeutics is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing CIR-0602K (azemiglitazone), a next-generation oral insulin sensitizer targeting the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier for Type 2 Diabetes, obesity, Type 1 Diabetes, and gestational diabetes patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Metabolic Disease Therapeutics

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

akta.pro primary industry

Cardiometabolic Pharmaceuticals (Cardiovascular/Diabetes/Obesity) (HLAIAAAE)

Keywords

• Insulin sensitizer drugs
• Metabolic disease therapeutics
• Mitochondrial pyruvate inhibitors
• Type 2 diabetes treatments
• Clinical stage biopharmaceuticals

Headquarters

HQ city

Kalamazoo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Drug Sales: Cirius Therapeutics is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing CIR-0602K. The company does not yet have commercialized products and has not generated revenue. Once approved, the company plans to commercialize its oral insulin sensitizer through traditional pharmaceutical distribution channels.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cirius Therapeutics is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing CIR-0602K (azemiglitazone), a next-generation oral insulin sensitizer that targets the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC). The drug is designed to restore insulin sensitivity in patients with Type 2 Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, obesity, and gestational diabetes by rebalancing mitochondrial metabolism while minimizing the safety risks (edema, heart failure) associated with first-generation thiazolidinediones.

Product overview

Cirius Therapeutics is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company with a single lead drug candidate, CIR-0602K (azemiglitazone), an oral insulin sensitizer targeting the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC). The drug is being developed as a monotherapy and in combination with GLP-1 receptor agonists for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes, obesity, and related metabolic diseases including gestational diabetes and Type 1 diabetes. The company's therapeutic approach focuses on restoring insulin response by re-balancing mitochondrial metabolism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CIR-0602K (azemiglitazone) CIR-0602K (also known as azemiglitazone or MSDC-0602K) is a next-generation oral insulin sensitizer that targets the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC). It addresses metabolic dysfunction by re-balancing mitochondrial metabolism, improving insulin sensitivity, increasing lean muscle mass, and shifting visceral adipose tissue to metabolically beneficial subcutaneous and brown adipose tissue. Being developed as monotherapy and in combination with GLP-1 receptor agonists for Type 2 Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, obesity, and gestational diabetes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Phase 2b (N=392, 52-week): markedly improved glycemic control, insulin response, fatty liver, and metabolic biomarkers vs placebo
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• CertaracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2026Certara has been engaged to provide specialized maternal-fetal and lactation modeling expertise using the Simcyp Simulator for the gestational diabetes initiative. This supports the examination of potential drug exposure in breast milk to enable future clinical studies in women immediately postpartum.
• University of Virginia (UVA) HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2025Cirius Therapeutics, in collaboration with Breakthrough T1D and UVA Health, is conducting a Phase 2 clinical study evaluating CIR-0602K in adults with Type 1 Diabetes using automated insulin delivery. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study is being conducted at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, primarily assessing glucose time-in-range as the main endpoint.
• Breakthrough T1DmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2025Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) is supporting the Phase 2 study of CIR-0602K in Type 1 Diabetes. This collaboration provides funding and support for the clinical trial at University of Virginia Health, with Breakthrough T1D providing the T1D-supported Phase 2 study designation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fractyl Health: Clinical-stage biotech developing Revita DMR for type 2 diabetes and obesity. Directly comparable as a small US clinical-stage metabolic-disease company pursuing novel mechanism-of-action therapies for T2D.
• Terns Pharmaceuticals: Clinical-stage biotech developing oral small molecules for obesity and MASH, including GLP-1 and THR-β candidates. Comparable as a small-cap US biotech advancing oral obesity/cardiometabolic assets through Phase 2 trials.
• Akero Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biotech developing FGF21 analogues for MASH/NASH with dual-action on liver and cardiometabolic health. Directly comparable as a focused metabolic-disease biotech advancing a single mechanism-driven asset through Phase 2/3 trials.
• Viking Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biotech developing therapeutics for metabolic and endocrine disorders, including obesity and NASH candidates. Directly comparable as a sub-scale US biotech pursuing novel mechanisms in the same cardiometabolic and obesity space as Cirius.
• Inventiva Pharma: Clinical-stage biotech developing lanifibranor, a pan-PPAR agonist for MASH and metabolic diseases. Comparable as a small-cap European/US-listed biotech pursuing oral insulin sensitizer-like mechanisms for cardiometabolic indications.
• Altimmune: Clinical-stage biotech developing pemvidutide for obesity and metabolic liver disease. Comparable as a US clinical-stage biotech advancing novel injectable mechanisms into the cardiometabolic and obesity space, with similar capitalization profile.
• Madrigal Pharmaceuticals: Cardiometabolic-focused biopharma that developed Rezdiffra, the first FDA-approved therapy for MASH. Directly comparable as a clinical-to-commercial US biotech tackling metabolic liver disease and insulin-resistance-related indications with a single lead asset.

Others

• Novo Nordisk:

Broad incumbents

• Eli Lilly: Global pharmaceutical leader with leading GLP-1 franchise (Mounjaro/Zepbound) and broad cardiometabolic pipeline including tirzepatide combinations. Highly relevant as the most likely combination partner and biggest competitive threat to CIR-0602K's positioning in obesity.

Emerging players

• Galera Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biotech developing dismutase mimetics for cancer supportive care and radiation-induced injuries. Relevant because Cirius CEO Robert Beardsley previously served as Executive Chair and COO at Galera, providing a comparable sub-scale US biotech operational benchmark.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cirius-therapeutics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cirius Therapeutics