
Our first product is a novel drug (new molecular entity) in a skin patch to treat Iron Deficiency Anemia, with significantly improved safety, efficacy and tolerability. When approved, Keylika’s proprietary transdermal iron will be the world's first prescription iron patch.
Transdermal Iron Patch (NistuFe)
- New molecular entity (NME) - KYLK01
- Small molecule (< 500 Da)
- Better Absorption
- No GI side-effects
- Higher bioavailability
- Self-administrable
- Low risk
Iron deficiency is a hugely understated problem affecting 30 million people in the US alone and about 1.6 billion globally. The first line of treatment is oral iron supplements that are typically associated with poor absorption and tolerability with gastrointestinal (GI) side-effects ranging from mild to severe, for eg., stomach discomfort, nausea, constipation and diarrhea, oftentimes leading to patient non-compliance. The alternative standard-of-care is intravenous (IV) iron infusion which is more invasive, riskier due to a rare possibility of an anaphylactic shock, thereby requiring a clinical setting, and hence much more expensive than oral iron. Though IV iron has a greater bioavailability, the high payload of iron entering the systemic circulation also causes moderate to severe side-effects. There is no ideal solution comprising the benefits of both orals and IV, without their respective downsides. Keylika seeks to bridge this gap with its proprietary transdermal iron. Our patch will provide superior clinical outcomes, without adverse GI side-effects, at the convenience of a patient’s home.
Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA)
Understated problem
Lack of innovation despite clinical need
Iron
Critical Micronutrient
1.6 Billion people globally
Women | Children | Elderly | Specific diseases
Existing IDA Treatment: Suboptimal
Oral Iron
- Gastro-intestinal side-effects (eg. nausea, constipation, diarrhea)
- Lower bioavailability
- Poor absorption
- Patient non-compliance
Intravenous (IV) Iron Infusion
- Complex
- GI side-effects
- Risk of hypersensitivity reactions
- Clinical setting
- Expensive

Our Science
We have developed a platform synthesis technology for mixed ligand metal complexes that is used to generate a multitude of organometallic drugs for treating a wide range of therapeutic conditions: hematology, pain and inflammation, metabolic disorders to infectious diseases and oncology. We then administer these drugs using proven delivery technologies, to effect the best clinical outcomes. Positioned at the intersection of drug development and drug delivery, enables us to customize the molecular structure and/or formulation as well as add microsystems engineering elements, to optimize the drug delivery per clinical requirements.
Why Metallodrugs?
- Cisplatin - a successful cancer drug
- Versatile 3D structures unlike 2D organic molecules
- Outstanding medicinal chemistry properties
- Novel chemistry – multiple target sites
- Ability to bind targets by coordinative bonding
- High potency – causes greater therapeutic effect
- Huge untapped potential for new drugs!





Our Uniqueness
Why others have failed:
Keylika's Success:
Drug discovery
Drug delivery
Drug discovery
Drug delivery
Proof-of-Concept
Recently, we demonstrated definitive proof-of-concept in-vivo in rats to show excellent iron uptake, improvement of hematological parameters, and correction of the iron deficiency without any signs of systemic toxicity, by intradermal administration of our novel compound.
Founding Team

Buddhadev P. Chaudhuri, PhD
- Drug Delivery / Material Science - 10+ years R&D experience
- Experienced working in medical devices & biotech start-ups
- PhD – KU Leuven, Belgium
- Postdoc – UC San Francisco (UCSF)

Frederik Ceyssens, PhD
- Microtechnology – 10+ years R&D experience
- PhD & Postdoc - KU Leuven, Belgium
- Founded a venture-backed neurotech startup in Belgium
Advisors & Consultants
We have assembled a top-notch advisory team comprising key opinion leaders/experts from industry and academia:
- Hematologist (Stanford)
- Gastroenterologist (Stanford)
- Drug delivery (Yale)
- Drug Formulation (Purdue)
- Metal nutrition (UCSF)
- Biologist (Harvard)
- Organometallic Chemistry (CUNY)
- Medicinal Chemistry (industry)
- Drug development (industry)
- Regulatory expert (industry)








