Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation

Keros Therapeutics, Inc. (“Keros” or the “Company”) was incorporated in 2015 as a Delaware corporation. Its principal offices are in Lexington, Massachusetts. The Company is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel treatments for patients suffering from hematological, pulmonary and cardiovascular disorders with high unmet medical need.

The Company’s lead protein therapeutic product candidate, KER-050, is an engineered ligand trap comprised of a modified ligand-binding domain of the transforming growth factor-beta (“TGF-ß”) receptor known as activin receptor type IIA that is fused to the portion of the human antibody known as the Fc domain. KER-050 is being developed for the treatment of low blood cell counts (“cytopenias”), including anemia and thrombocytopenia, in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (“MDS”) and in patients with myelofibrosis.

The Company’s lead small molecule product candidate, KER-047, is designed to selectively and potently inhibit activin receptor-like kinase-2 (“ALK2”), a TGF-ß receptor. KER-047 is being developed for the treatment of functional iron deficiency which is a consequence of elevated ALK2 signaling, including the Company’s initial target, iron-refractory iron deficiency anemia (“IRIDA”).

The Company’s third product candidate, KER-012, is designed to bind to and inhibit the signaling of TGF-ß ligands that stimulate smooth muscle hypertrophy and fibrosis, including activin A, activin B and myostatin (GDF8). KER-012 is being developed for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (“PAH”) and for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders.

Since its inception in 2015, the Company has devoted the majority of its resources to business planning, research and development of its product candidates, including conducting clinical trials and preclinical studies, raising capital and recruiting management and technical staff to support these operations. To date, the Company has not generated any revenue from product sales as none of its product candidates have been approved for commercialization.

In May 2021, the Company filed a registration statement on Form S-3, which was automatically effective upon filing (the “Shelf Registration Statement”). Pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement, the Company could issue up to $150.0 million in common stock in sales deemed to be an “at the market offering,” as defined by the Securities Act, and, so long as the Company qualifies as a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act, an unspecified amount of shares of the Company common stock, preferred stock, debt securities and warrants. In December 2022, the Company filed a prospectus supplement to the Shelf Registration Statement for the issuance and sale, if any, of up to an additional $250.0 million in common stock in sales deemed to be an “at the market offering,” as defined by the Securities Act.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

The Company’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the basis of the Company continuing as a going concern for the next 12 months. Management believes that the Company’s existing $279.0 million in cash and cash equivalents, will allow the Company to continue its operations for at least the next 12 months. In the absence of a significant source of recurring revenue, the continued viability of the Company beyond that point is dependent on its ability to continue to raise additional capital to finance its operations. If the Company is unable to obtain additional funding, the Company may be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate some or all of its research and development programs, product portfolio expansion or commercialization efforts, which could adversely affect its business prospects, or the Company may be unable to continue operations.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Keros Therapeutics Australia Pty Ltd (“Keros Australia”) and Keros Security Corporation, a Massachusetts securities corporation.