Attenua

Attenua, Inc. operated as a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, positioning itself to address the significant market of chronic respiratory disorders, with a primary focus on chronic cough. The company was founded in 2015 by Jing Liang, PhD, and Robert J. DeVita. The firm's strategy centered on developing novel, non-narcotic small molecule drugs for conditions affecting millions of patients.

The company's lead asset was ATA-101 (also known as Bradanicline), a selective neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (CHRNA7) agonist. Attenua acquired this candidate from Catalyst Biosciences in 2016 and advanced it into Phase 2 clinical trials. The therapeutic objective of ATA-101 was to provide an antitussive effect, relieving cough without the addictive potential associated with other treatments like nicotine. The market for chronic cough represents a substantial unmet need, with estimates suggesting it affects more than 2.5 million people in the U.S. alone.

A significant milestone in the company's history was the completion of a $35 million Series A financing round in April 2018. This funding was led by Omega Funds and included participation from other prominent healthcare investors such as Abingworth, OrbiMed, and Redmile Group. The capital was earmarked to advance ATA-101 through Phase 2 trials and support the broader development pipeline. Concurrently with the financing, Michael Kitt, MD, who previously served as Chief Medical Officer at Afferent Pharmaceuticals and led successful cough-related clinical trials, was appointed as CEO. In February 2020, Attenua was acquired by CODA Biotherapeutics, Inc. The acquisition provided CODA with three clinical-stage small molecule drugs, including Attenua's portfolio, to be integrated into CODA's gene therapy-mediated chemogenetic platform for treating neurological disorders.

Keywords: biopharmaceutical, chronic cough, small molecule drugs, ATA-101, clinical trials, respiratory disorders, antitussive, nicotinic agonist, Series A, acquisition