What R1 Therapeutics does

R1 Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing first-in-class oral therapies for kidney disease, with a lead asset, AP306, in development as a monotherapy for hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis. The company launched in March 2026 alongside an oversubscribed $77.5 million Series A financing co-led by Abingworth, DaVita Venture Group, and F-Prime, with participation from Curie.Bio, SymBiosis, and U.S. Renal Care. R1 is headquartered in Redwood City/San Francisco, California, with additional offices in San Diego and Raleigh, North Carolina, and a UK affiliate (R1 Therapeutics Ltd) registered in London. Its co-founders are CEO Krishna Polu, M.D. (a practicing nephrologist with 20+ years of biopharmaceutical experience) and COO L. Mary Smith, Ph.D. (former Chief Development Officer at SpringWorks Therapeutics).

AP306 (previously known as EOS789, originally discovered by Chugai Pharmaceutical) is a first-in-class pan phosphate transporter inhibitor — a small molecule that uniquely blocks the active transport of phosphate in the gastrointestinal tract by inhibiting three sodium-dependent phosphate transporters (NaPi-IIb, PiT-1, PiT-2), a mechanism distinct from the passive-binding phosphate binders that have constituted standard of care for approximately 60 years. In a Phase 2a study in dialysis patients, AP306 achieved -2.51 mg/dL serum phosphorus reduction (95% CI -3.07, -1.92) at an average 98.0 mg TID dose, compared with -1.08 mg/dL (95% CI -1.58, -0.59) for Sevelamer at 1,571.4 mg TID. R1 holds exclusive global development and commercialization rights to AP306 outside Greater China via an in-license from Alebund Pharmaceuticals, with a joint global Phase 2b multi-regional trial in the U.S. and China planned to start later in 2026; Alebund retains rights within Greater China. The company is currently pre-revenue; future revenue is expected to come from commercialization of AP306 (specialist field sales to nephrologists and dialysis providers, leveraging the DaVita and U.S. Renal Care networks) supplemented by milestone payments and tiered royalties from Alebund.

Name

R1 Therapeutics

Legal name

R1 Therapeutics, Inc.

Website

https://r1therapeutics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2026

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

R1 Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing first-in-class oral therapies for kidney disease. Its lead asset, AP306, is a pan phosphate transporter inhibitor for hyperphosphatemia in chronic kidney disease patients on dialysis. Pre-revenue; raised $77.5M Series A in March 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nephrology Pharmaceuticals (Chronic Kidney Disease Therapeutics)

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (3254)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Rare Renal & Nephrology Disorder Therapies (HLAIAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Real-World Evidence (RWE) & HEOR for Development (HLAIALAI)

Keywords

• Renal therapeutics
• Phosphate transporter inhibition
• Chronic kidney disease drugs
• Hyperphosphatemia treatment
• Clinical-stage biopharmaceuticals

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Future drug commercialization (pre-revenue): R1 Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company and is currently pre-revenue. Future revenue expected from commercialization of AP306 as a monotherapy for hyperphosphatemia in CKD patients on dialysis, leveraging exclusive global development and commercial rights outside Greater China licensed from Alebund Pharmaceuticals.
2. Licensing royalties and milestone payments (out-license to Alebund for Greater China): R1 holds exclusive rights outside Greater China; Alebund retains rights within Greater China. Alebund agreement includes potential milestone payments of up to low triple-digit millions of U.S. dollars and tiered royalties in low double-digit percentages on sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

R1 Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing AP306, a first-in-class, oral, small-molecule pan phosphate transporter inhibitor being advanced as a monotherapy for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis. The company holds exclusive global development and commercialization rights for AP306 outside of Greater China under a license from Alebund Pharmaceuticals, with global Phase 2b clinical development planned to commence later in 2026.

Product overview

R1 Therapeutics operates a single-asset-focused clinical-stage biopharmaceutical portfolio centered on its lead program AP306, rather than a platform-plus-modules product architecture. The company's offering is built around AP306, a first-in-class pan phosphate transporter inhibitor being advanced as a monotherapy for hyperphosphatemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients on dialysis, with global development and commercialization rights (outside Greater China) licensed from Alebund Pharmaceuticals. AP306 constitutes the entirety of R1's disclosed pipeline, and the company's broader product scope is envisioned to extend over time across the spectrum of kidney disease, including CKD non-dialysis populations, dialysis, and kidney transplant, though no additional named clinical assets have been disclosed.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AP306 AP306 is a first-in-class, oral, small-molecule pan phosphate transporter inhibitor in development as a monotherapy for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis. It is the only agent that blocks the active transport of phosphate by targeting three key sodium-dependent phosphate transporters in the gastrointestinal tract (NaPi-IIb, PiT-1, PiT-2), offering the potential for superior efficacy with a substantially lower pill burden compared to existing phosphate binder therapies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Phase 2a: AP306 reduced serum phosphorus by -2.51 mg/dL from baseline (95% CI -3.07, -1.92) vs Sevelamer -1.08 mg/dL (95% CI -1.58, -0.59) over 12 weeks in dialysis patients.
• +5 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• ProKidney: ProKidney is a clinical-stage cell-therapy company developing rilparencel for CKD. While operating in a different modality, it is an emerging player in the same target market (CKD) and a comparable clinical-stage, indication-focused biotech pursuing a high-conviction thesis in kidney disease.
• Cara Therapeutics: Cara developed KORSUVA (difelikefalin) for chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus, addressing a major comorbidity in dialysis patients. It is an emerging peer in the dialysis-adjacent specialty and a useful comparable for nephrology-focused commercial launches.

Direct peers

• Travere Therapeutics: Travere commercializes FILSPARI (sparsentan) for IgA nephropathy and is developing additional CKD assets. It is a directly comparable late-stage nephrology-focused biopharma targeting a CKD subpopulation, sharing the model of bringing novel small molecules to underserved renal indications.
• Ardelyx: Ardelyx developed and commercializes XPHOZAH (tenapanor), the only FDA-approved non-binder therapy for hyperphosphatemia in CKD patients on dialysis. It is the most directly comparable company to R1 Therapeutics as the only other approved or late-stage asset specifically targeting phosphate control in dialysis via a novel mechanism.
• Vera Therapeutics: Vera is a clinical-stage nephrology company developing atacicept for IgA nephropathy. It is a directly comparable late-stage, indication-focused kidney biotech with similar funding, single-asset lead, and clinical-development profile.

Broad incumbents

• Chinook Therapeutics (a Novartis company): Chinook was a clinical-stage nephrology company (acquired by Novartis in 2023) developing atrasentan for IgA nephropathy and other CKD assets. It represents the most relevant 'acquired-and-scaled' comparable for a kidney-focused clinical-stage biotech, now operating within a large pharma.
• Akebia Therapeutics: Akebia developed and commercializes AURYXIA (ferric citrate) for hyperphosphatemia in CKD dialysis patients and vadadustat for anemia. It is a broad incumbent in the renal space and a direct competitor in the hyperphosphatemia market AP306 targets.
• Otsuka Pharmaceutical: Otsuka markets JYNARQUE (tolvaptan) for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, the only FDA-approved therapy to slow ADPKD progression. It is a broad incumbent with a commercialized renal franchise, providing a reference for the scale and infrastructure needed to commercialize in nephrology.

Others

• Chugai Pharmaceutical: Chugai originally discovered AP306 (as EOS789) before licensing it to Alebund. As a large Japanese biopharma with a major renal and CKD franchise, it is an enabling/thematic comparable in nephrology drug development but not a direct competitor to R1.
• Alebund Pharmaceuticals: Alebund is R1's exclusive licensor for AP306 ex-Greater China and holds the Greater China rights. It is an enabling partner with a parallel in-house renal franchise and is a direct comparable as an Asia-rooted clinical-stage nephrology company, but not a competitive peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/r1-therapeutics

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors6 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 R1 Therapeutics