Cadrenal Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative anticoagulation therapies, has announced the acquisition of eXIthera Pharmaceuticals’ portfolio of Factor XIa inhibitors, significantly expanding its pipeline with new investigational assets aimed at addressing critical gaps in thrombotic care.
The acquisition includes frunexian, a first-in-class, Phase 2-ready intravenous (IV) Factor XIa inhibitor developed for acute care settings where medical devices such as cardiopulmonary bypass machines and catheters activate coagulation. It also brings in EP-7327, an oral Factor XIa inhibitor intended for the prevention and treatment of major thrombotic conditions.
“This acquisition makes Cadrenal the only company globally developing both a novel vitamin K antagonist (tecarfarin) and next-generation Factor XIa inhibitors,” said Quang X. Pham, Chairman and CEO of Cadrenal Therapeutics. “These new assets enable us to further address unmet needs in anticoagulation—particularly for patients at high risk of bleeding or those not adequately served by current therapies.”
Unlike traditional anticoagulants that carry a high risk of bleeding by broadly impairing clotting pathways, Factor XIa inhibitors like frunexian and EP-7327 offer a targeted approach. Their mechanism-based design provides greater selectivity, tunable pharmacokinetics, and the potential to reduce clotting without significantly increasing bleeding risk—a key challenge in the $38 billion global anticoagulation market.
The acquisition supports Cadrenal’s strategy to lead in the development of safer, more precise antithrombotic therapies. The company is also preparing for a clinical trial of tecarfarin in patients with end-stage kidney disease transitioning to dialysis and exploring its use in patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs).
“With this expansion, Cadrenal is uniquely positioned to deliver differentiated therapies for patients across the full spectrum of cardiovascular thrombotic risk,” added Pham.
The deal reinforces Cadrenal’s ambition to become a category leader in anticoagulation by developing treatments that close longstanding safety and efficacy gaps in current options.