Blade Therapeutics Acquires ATXCo from Celgene to Advance Novel Therapy for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

On September 29, 2019, VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned from foreign media reports that biopharmaceutical company Blade Therapeutics had announced the acquisition of ATXCo. No financial terms of the acquisition were disclosed.

Upon completion of this acquisition, Blade Therapeutics will continue to advance the development of anti-fibrotic therapies, providing new treatment options for patients with chronic diseases.

Headquartered in San Diego, California, ATXCo is a biotechnology company dedicated to developing its proprietary autotaxin (ATX) inhibitors for the treatment of chronic diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), chronic kidney disease, primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), and scleroderma. The major shareholders of ATXCo are the venture capital firm Bay City Capital and the biopharmaceutical company Celgene Corporation.

ATXCo’s lead candidate, PAT-409, is an autotaxin (ATX) inhibitor indicated for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The drug inhibits the production of extracellular lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), thereby slowing the progression of pulmonary fibrosis. Multiple preclinical and clinical trials have demonstrated that PAT-409 exhibits a favorable safety and efficacy profile in patients with IPF.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic interstitial lung disease confined to the lungs, predominantly affecting middle-aged and elderly individuals. The characteristic histopathological and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings in patients are consistent with usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP). IPF has an insidious onset, with patients experiencing gradual progression or acute exacerbations of their condition. The median survival after diagnosis is only 2.8 years, and its mortality rate exceeds that of most malignant tumors.

Blade Therapeutics, founded in 2015 and headquartered in California, USA, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. The company is dedicated to developing novel anti-fibrotic therapies to meet the medical needs of patients with chronic diseases. The Blade Therapeutics team possesses expertise in the field of anti-fibrotic drug development and has secured funding from MPM Capital, Deerfield, Pfizer Ventures, One Ventures, and the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research.

Blade Therapeutics’ lead candidate is BLD-2660, a highly selective calpain inhibitor for the treatment of chronic fibrotic diseases. The company has currently conducted a Phase I clinical trial of BLD-2660 in Australia to investigate the relationship between dosage and efficacy. Blade Therapeutics plans to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the U.S. FDA and initiate a Phase II clinical trial in patients with liver fibrosis before 2020.

Dr. Wendye Robbins, President and Chief Executive Officer of Blade Therapeutics, stated, “Submitting the Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the FDA will advance the development of innovative therapies for fibrotic diseases. The antifibrotic mechanisms of the ATX inhibitor and BLD-2660, a calpain inhibitor, are complementary, suggesting that these two antifibrotic agents may potentially be used in combination in the future.”

Robert Williamson, President and Chief Executive Officer of ATXCo, stated, “Clearly, Blade Therapeutics will help ATXCo advance the clinical development of PAT-409, providing effective treatment options for patients with fibrotic diseases.”

Dr. Felix Karim, Executive Vice President of Blade Therapeutics, added, “Through the acquisition of ATXCo and its drug development programs, we expect to initiate three clinical trials in the near term to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the drugs.”

(Compiled by Xu Xiaoxue)