Kanna Health

What Kanna Health does

Kadence Bio (formerly Kanna Health) is a clinical-stage life sciences company founded in 2021 and headquartered in Sevenoaks, United Kingdom, developing novel therapeutics for sexual and mental health conditions. Its lead asset, KH-001, is being advanced as the first FDA-approved pharmaceutical treatment for premature ejaculation, an indication with no currently approved drug therapy. Phase 1 safety studies for KH-001 were completed successfully in Q3 2024, and the company has continued to publish preclinical evidence supporting the candidate's mechanism, most recently in April 2026. Beyond KH-001, the company maintains a pipeline of compounds targeting mood disorders, positioning it across two adjacent therapeutic verticals.

The company operates with a founder-led team of 11-50 employees, with John Boghossian as CEO, Ryan Protzko as President, and Lars Wilde as Chairman. To date it has raised approximately $9.96M across two funding rounds (October 2021 and May 2022) from a syndicate including re.Mind Capital, Wilde Ventures, WPSS.bio, Ayuh Ventures, Empath Ventures, Globivest, Neo Kuma Ventures, and Palo Santo Fund. It was selected for the Zcube-Zambon Research Venture's Open Accelerator in September 2024 and obtained B-Corp certification in May 2024, reflecting an ESG-oriented brand posture consistent with its consumer-adjacent therapeutic positioning.

As a pre-revenue clinical-stage developer, Kadence Bio has no commercialized products or active distribution channels. Its intended revenue model upon regulatory approval is traditional prescription pharmaceutical product sales for KH-001 (PE) and future pipeline assets (mood disorders), with no pricing or licensing terms currently disclosed. The company is primarily engaging the market through educational content marketing, LinkedIn presence, and earned media to build category awareness around premature ejaculation and mental health.

Name

Kanna Health

Website

https://kanna.health

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kadence Bio (formerly Kanna Health) is a UK-based, clinical-stage life sciences company developing KH-001 as the first FDA-approved pharmaceutical treatment for premature ejaculation, alongside a pipeline of mood disorder therapeutics. It serves adult males with PE and patients with mood disorders, and is currently pre-revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Therapeutics

NAICS

Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Therapeutic Peptides & Protein/Peptide Biologics (HLAAAAAH)

Keywords

• Clinical-stage therapeutics
• Premature ejaculation treatment
• Novel drug development
• Sexual health pharmaceuticals
• Mood disorder therapeutics

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Product Revenue: Pre-revenue clinical-stage company. Upon FDA approval, the company plans to commercialize KH-001 as a prescription therapeutic for premature ejaculation, with additional compounds in development for mood disorders. Revenue model will likely be traditional pharmaceutical product sales through prescription channels.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kanna Health (now operating as Kadence Bio) is a clinical-stage life sciences company developing novel therapeutics derived from the kanna plant. Its lead asset, KH-001, is being advanced through FDA clinical trials as the first FDA-approved pharmaceutical treatment for premature ejaculation, with Phase 1 safety studies completed in Q3 2024. The company also maintains a pipeline of compounds targeting mood disorders including depression and anxiety.

Product overview

Kadence Bio (formerly Kanna Health) is a clinical-stage life sciences company developing novel therapeutics rather than a traditional tech product. The company's core offering consists of pharmaceutical drug candidates, with KH-001 as the lead asset targeting premature ejaculation. The company also maintains a pipeline of compounds targeting mood disorders. This is a biopharmaceutical portfolio focused on sexual and mental health therapeutics, not a software or technology platform product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KH-001 Lead therapeutic asset being developed as the first FDA-approved pharmaceutical treatment for premature ejaculation (PE) in adult males. Phase 1 safety studies completed successfully in Q3 2024, with subsequent clinical trials planned before potential commercial launch. Targets the significant unmet medical need for PE, a condition with no FDA-approved pharmaceutical treatments currently available.
• Mood Disorder Pipeline Compounds Pipeline of novel compounds targeting mood disorders including depression and anxiety, addressing significant unmet therapeutic needs in mental health. These compounds represent the company's secondary development program alongside the lead KH-001 asset for premature ejaculation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Phase 1 safety studies completed successfully

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Zcube-Zambon Research VenturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2024Kadence Bio was selected for Zcube-Zambon Research Venture's Open Accelerator program in September 2024. This partnership provides access to research venture resources, potential funding, mentorship, and strategic support for advancing the company's therapeutic development programs in sexual and mental health.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ixchelsis: UK-based clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing novel therapies for premature ejaculation and other sexual health conditions. Most direct comparable to Kadence Bio given shared focus on first-in-class PE therapeutics for similar patient populations.
• Futura Medical: UK-based specialty pharmaceutical company developing innovative sexual health products, including Eroxon for erectile dysfunction. Comparable as a clinical-to-commercial sexual health therapeutics developer targeting similar patient demographics.
• Compass Pathways: Clinical-stage mental health company developing psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant depression. Comparable as a similarly-sized clinical-stage biotech pursuing novel mechanisms for mood disorders — a key part of Kadence Bio's pipeline strategy.
• MindMed: Clinical-stage mental health company developing psychedelic-inspired therapies for anxiety, depression, and other CNS conditions. Comparable in therapeutic area, stage, and novel-mechanism approach to Kadence Bio's mood disorder pipeline.
• ATAI Life Sciences: Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing transformative treatments for mental health, including depression and anxiety. Comparable as a clinical-stage platform company pursuing novel CNS mechanisms similar to Kadence Bio's mood disorder pipeline.

Broad incumbents

• Sage Therapeutics: Established CNS-focused biopharmaceutical company that developed Zurzuvae (zuranolone) for postpartum depression. Comparable as a developer of novel CNS therapeutics addressing mood and mental health indications overlapping with Kadence Bio's pipeline.
• Pfizer: Global pharmaceutical company that markets dapoxetine (Priligy) for premature ejaculation in many ex-US markets. Comparable as the most established player in PE therapeutics and a potential strategic acquirer or competitor to KH-001.
• Boehringer Ingelheim: Global pharmaceutical company with a longstanding urology and sexual health franchise. Comparable as a broad incumbent with strategic interest in sexual health therapeutics and the commercial infrastructure that Kadence Bio would need post-approval.

Emerging players

• BioXcel Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company applying AI to develop transformative medicines in neuroscience and immuno-oncology. Comparable as a small-cap clinical-stage CNS therapeutics developer operating with a similar capital and headcount profile to Kadence Bio.
• Marinus Pharmaceuticals: Clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing therapeutics for seizure disorders and other CNS conditions. Comparable as a similarly-sized clinical-stage CNS drug developer with a focus on underserved neurological indications.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kanna-health

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors8 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 Kanna Health