On February 8, 2024 Attovia Therapeutics, a biotech company pioneering spatially optimized biparatopic biologics, reported the closing of the $30 million second tranche of its previously reported $60 million Series A financing (Press release, Attovia Therapeutics, FEB 8, 2024, View Source [SID1234647442]). Attovia also announced the nomination of the first development candidate generated from its Attobody biologics platform, ATTO-1310, a potential first-in-class, long half-life anti-IL31 Attobody. Proceeds from the second tranche will be used to advance ATTO-1310 through early clinical trials, move the Company’s second program, ATTO-002, a bispecific IL31 x IL13 ligand trap, toward IND-enabling studies, and to further develop the Attobody platform and early discovery pipeline.
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"The novel advantages of the biparatopic binding mode of the Attobody technology include potential for higher efficacy and the ability to expand the universe of druggable epitopes," said Tao Fu, CEO of Attovia. "Our first set of programs validate the Attobody platform and illustrate Attovia’s core capabilities to discover and develop small format biologics with first- or best-in-class potential at industry-leading speed. In just eight months, the Attovia team has successfully closed both tranches of the $60 million Series A financing, built a pipeline of five novel programs, and rapidly advanced our lead programs towards the clinic. I am thrilled to partner with our investors, executive team, and advisors to develop our highly innovative product portfolio."
Pipeline Update
Attovia’s lead programs focus on immune-mediated disease. The Company’s first program, ATTO-1310, is currently in IND enabling studies and is intended for the treatment of atopic dermatitis and other pruritic diseases. Through biparatopic binding and ligand- rather than receptor-targeting, ATTO-1310 has the potential to achieve faster and deeper responses than other IL31-pathway targeting molecules. ATTO-1310 utilizes clinically validated half-life extension technology designed to lengthen its dosing interval to potentially once every three months, compared to bi-weekly or monthly dosing with marketed biologics for these indications. ATTO-1310 is currently on track to enter the clinic around year-end 2024.
The Company’s second program, ATTO-002, is a small format, bispecific ligand trap targeting IL31 and IL13. ATTO-002 seeks to establish a new standard of care in the treatment of atopic dermatitis by simultaneously inhibiting two non-overlapping pathways involved in disease pathology with potentially best-in-class potency, and by avoiding receptor-mediated drug removal. Attovia expects to nominate a development candidate and advance the candidate to IND enabling studies in the second half of 2024. Given the modularity of the platform, the existing IL13 binder from ATTO-002 can be combined with new additional arms such as anti-TSLP, -OX40L, -IL33, and others, to build Attobody-based bispecifics targeting respiratory and fibrotic diseases such as asthma, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Attovia has initiated three additional discovery programs in immune mediated disease and oncology:
ATTO-004, targeting a novel G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR);
ATTO-005, targeting a first-in-class bispecific combination in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD);
ATTO-003, an anti-B7H4 drug conjugate program exploring the possibility of using Attobody as the ideal binder for payload delivery to improve therapeutic index in select solid tumors.