SanReno Therapeutics was Officially Established

SanReno Therapeutics is a joint venture focusing on nephrology and related therapeutic areas. Pivotal bioVenture Partners China jointly established SanReno in China together with Frazier Healthcare Partners, a well-known US life science fund, and Chinook Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company. SanReno is led by pharmaceutical veterans from the top tier management team, such as Baxter, Novartis and etc. SanReno is committed to providing world-leading innovative treatments and clinical solutions to create better quality of life for more patients. 

SanReno Therapeutics currently aims to develop, manufacture and commercialize kidney disease therapies in Greater China, which includes mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, as well as Singapore. Chinook Therapeutics has granted SanReno exclusive rights to develop and commercialize atrasentan and BION-1301 in Greater China and Singapore. 

About IgA Nephropathy (IgAN)

Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerular disease globally and a leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD), with up to 45 percent of IgAN patients progressing to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation. There are currently no approved therapies for IgAN and only limited treatment options for high-risk patients. IgAN is characterized by the deposition of IgA-containing immune complexes in the glomeruli of the kidney, which initiates an inflammatory response that results in protein and blood leaking into the urine, called proteinuria and hematuria, respectively. Proteinuria levels are the strongest predictor of kidney function loss and clinical outcomes in IgAN patients, and lowering proteinuria is associated with important clinical benefit. Blockade of the endothelin A receptor by atrasentan has potential to reduce proteinuria as well as kidney inflammation and fibrosis to preserve kidney function in IgAN. 

About Atrasentan

Atrasentan is a selective and potent inhibitor of the endothelin A receptor (ETA) that has the potential to provide benefit in multiple chronic kidney diseases by reducing proteinuria and having direct anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects to preserve kidney function. IgAN was identified as the lead indication for evaluation of atrasentan due to the role of ETA activation in driving proteinuria, mesangial cell activation, kidney inflammation and fibrosis, the hallmarks of IgAN disease progression. The pivotal phase III ALIGN trial of atrasentan is currently enrolling patients with IgAN and the phase  II AFFINITY trial of atrasentan is currently enrolling patients with proteinuric glomerular diseases. 

About BION-1301

BION-1301 is a proprietary monoclonal antibody therapeutic targeting APRIL, which is being evaluating for the treatment of IgA nephropathy. BION-1301 is currently being evaluated in a phase  I/II clinical trial in patients with IgA nephropathy. Preliminary data from the first cohort of patients with IgA nephropathy demonstrated that BION-1301 has been well-tolerated to date, with no serious adverse events or treatment discontinuations due to adverse events. The pharmacokinetics of BION-1301 observed in patients with IgAN were consistent with those previously reported in healthy volunteers and sufficient to drive rapid and sustained reductions in free APRIL levels. BION-1301 durably reduced Gd-IgA1, IgA, IgM, and to a lesser extent, IgG levels in patients with IgAN. BION-1301 has demonstrated >50% proteinuria reduction in patients with IgAN after three to six months of treatment, with further reductions in two patients through approximately one year of treatment, providing initial proof-of-concept for BION-1301 in IgAN.