KemPharm, Inc.

KemPharm is a specialty pharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of proprietary prodrugs that are designed to be improved versions of widely prescribed, approved drugs. Developing and encouraging a unique creativity, leveraged throughout the process of scientific discovery is the foundation of our corporate culture.

At KemPharm we employ our Ligand Activated Therapy (LAT™) platform technology to create prodrugs that are new molecules which can improve one or more of the attributes of approved drugs, such as susceptibility to abuse, bioavailability and safety. We create new prodrugs by chemically attaching one or more molecules, or ligands, to an FDA-approved parent drug. When combined with the parent drug, our ligands create prodrugs designed to have improved drug attributes while maintaining efficacy equivalent to the parent drug. Once administered, targeted human metabolic processes, such as those in the GI tract, separate the ligand from the prodrug and release the parent drug, which can then exert its therapeutic effect.

KemPharm has employed its LAT™ prodrug platform to create a diverse pipeline of prodrug therapeutics that target large market opportunities in pain, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other central nervous system indications.