Attralus Therapeutics has scored $116 million to bring a handful of amyloidosis therapies into the clinic along with an accompanying radiotracer diagnostic imaging agent.
The series B funding round was led by Logos Capital with participation from founding investor venBio Partners and other investors, the company said Thursday.
Alexander Denner, founding partner and chief investment officer of Sarissa Capital Management, and Jake Bauer, an independent director, will join Attralus’ board of directors in conjunction with the financing. Denner serves on the boards of Biogen and Ironwood Pharmaceuticals. Bauer previously served as chief business officer for MyoKardia before its acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb.
Attralus is helmed by former Purdue CEO Mark Timney, who, since leaving the troubled private opioid maker, led The Medicines Company to a $9.7 billion acquisition by Novartis last year.
Timney's new biotech is focused on therapies that stimulate the immune system to remove amyloid. A build up of the amyloid protein in vital organs and tissues can lead to a host of severe, often fatal conditions known as amyloid diseases.
RELATED: Ex-Purdue CEO Timney lands at amyloidosis biotech Attralus
Attralus has three treatments in development as well as an amyloid-specific radiotracer that can record all types of systemic amyloidosis through PET/CT imaging. The first pan-amyloid removal therapeutic, AT-03, is expected to start a Phase I study in systemic amyloidosis patients, but Attralus did not say when.
The company also plans to expand its team with the funds and build out infrastructure for future growth.