Kezar Life Sciences, Inc. announced it has initiated a strategic restructuring program to prioritize long-term growth and focus its resources on its clinical-stage programs. The strategic realignment is expected to extend operating capital to fund PALIZADE, Kezar?s Phase 2b clinical trial in lupus nephritis. Actions to prioritize clinical programs and implement cost saving measures are expected to extend Kezar?s cash runway into late 2026. These measures will focus resources to achieve important clinical data readouts for zetomipzomib in lupus nephritis and autoimmune hepatitis and KZR-261 in solid tumors.

All research and drug discovery activities have been paused, and Kezar will explore strategic partnering alternatives for its protein secretion platform and preclinical programs. Kezar anticipates initial data from its KZR-261 Phase 1 clinical trial in 2024, topline data from its PORTOLA Phase 2a clinical trial in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) in mid-2025 and topline data from PALIZADE in mid-2026. Kezar will reduce its workforce by approximately 41% to optimize capital allocation and align with strategic priorities. Kezar is also evaluating its Phase 1 clinical trial of KZR-261 in solid tumors and expects to reduce the number of planned expansion cohorts to conserve cash resources while it continues to evaluate safety and biologic activity in the ongoing trial.