Join Date
October 2024
Country
Gender
Not Specified
Age
Not Specified
About Yusuf Erkul
I'm co-founder and CEO of Kernal Biologics, a Cambridge, MA-based biotech startup developing next-generation messenger RNA immunotherapy. Backed by Hummingbird, Amgen, HBM, NASA, and Boeing, Kernal Bio raised a $25M Series A round. Early in my career, I worked at Merck&Co. on the discovery and development of various oncology drugs, including ZEJULA®, which got FDA approval for ovarian cancer. I hold an executive MBA from MIT Sloan, an M.D. from Hacettepe Univ. and a B.S. in Biology from MIT.
Companies & Work
Kernal Biologics
Kernal Bio is a biotech company pioneering mRNA 2.0 immunotherapies. We leverage selective mRNA-LNP technology to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases with precision, ensuring targeted cell delivery and minimal off-target effects. Our KR-402 program achieves over 90% delivery efficiency with T-cell-targeted LNPs, enabling direct CAR-T programming within the body and resulting in B-cell depletion within a week.
Kernal Bio is led by a team with experience from MIT, Harvard, Merck, and BMS, boasting three FDA-approved therapies and over 120 patents. Based in Cambridge, MA, we are backed by Hummingbird Ventures, Amgen Ventures, HBM, and even NASA.
With roots at MIT, Harvard and Biopharma, Kernal’s management team has deep expertise in mRNA therapeutics space. CEO Yusuf Erkul, M.D., M.B.A. is a successful drug hunter whose research at Merck enabled an FDA-approved drug for ovarian cancer. President Burak Yilmaz, M.S., previously founded Sentegen, a thriving synthetic biology company which commercializes synthetic DNA, RNA, and diagnostic kits for genetic and infectious diseases. Sr. VP of R&D Manfred Kraus is a leader in immuno-oncology, who was most recently Scientific Sr. Director at Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS). VP of CMC Joe Parrella oversaw clinical and commercial mRNA LNP manufacturing function in Translate Bio (Sanofi) and Arranta Bio (ReciPharm).
Kernal Bio is led by a team with experience from MIT, Harvard, Merck, and BMS, boasting three FDA-approved therapies and over 120 patents. Based in Cambridge, MA, we are backed by Hummingbird Ventures, Amgen Ventures, HBM, and even NASA.
With roots at MIT, Harvard and Biopharma, Kernal’s management team has deep expertise in mRNA therapeutics space. CEO Yusuf Erkul, M.D., M.B.A. is a successful drug hunter whose research at Merck enabled an FDA-approved drug for ovarian cancer. President Burak Yilmaz, M.S., previously founded Sentegen, a thriving synthetic biology company which commercializes synthetic DNA, RNA, and diagnostic kits for genetic and infectious diseases. Sr. VP of R&D Manfred Kraus is a leader in immuno-oncology, who was most recently Scientific Sr. Director at Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS). VP of CMC Joe Parrella oversaw clinical and commercial mRNA LNP manufacturing function in Translate Bio (Sanofi) and Arranta Bio (ReciPharm).
