Attune Pharmaceuticals bags $23M for oral HAE drug

Attune Pharmaceuticals raised $23 million in series B financing to push its oral drug for hereditary angioedema (HAE) through phase 2. The biotech aims to provide an oral alternative to approved treatments, all of which are either intravenous or subcutaneous injections. The financing (PDF) comes one day after Attune presented phase 1 data (PDF) for ATN-249 at the annual scientific session of the Western Society of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. In addition to advancing the HAE candidate, ATN-249, the funding will also support the development of Attune’s preclinical pipeline.
HAE is a rare disease caused by the deficiency of a plasma protein called C1-esterase inhibitor. It causes rapid swelling of the hands, feet, limbs, face, intestinal tract or airway that can be life-threatening. Several drugs have been approved to treat HAE, including CSL’s Haegarda and Shire’s Cinryze, both of which boost C1-esterase inhibitor activity. Attune’s ATN-249 inhibits a different target to reduce HAE attacks: the enzyme kallikrein.